Twice In A Lifetime
by LightningMistress2113
Summary: He began stalking toward her with a possessive gleam in his eyes. "Life in the desert is harsh." She nervously backed up a step for each one he took, mouth dry. He stopped in front of her after her back bumped into a tree trunk and placed his hands on either side of her head. "You better not regret your choice later." He breathed against her lips as his hands tangled in her hair.
1. Chapter 1 - Plans Gone Wary (Part 1)

This is what I get for watching the Mummy movies one too many times and fangirling over Ardeth Bay. I had noticed that most people used the first Mummy movie so I decided to be different and do the second one.

Hope you all like it. Please read and review!

Disclaimer** –** I _do not_ own Mummy or its characters. I don't even own the plot. All I own is the character I stuck in so that Ardeth could have some romance in his life.

**Twice In A Lifetime – **He began stalking toward her with a possessive gleam in his eyes. "Life in the desert is harsh." She nervously backed up a step for each one he took, mouth dry. He stopped in front of her after her back bumped into a tree trunk and placed his hands on either side of her head. "You better not regret your choice later." He breathed against her lips as his hands tangled in her hair.

**Chapter One – Plans Gone Wary (Part 1)**

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Naomi rubbed her forehead. It was really late yet she couldn't sleep. The strange but familiar dream had come back again after a six week absence. A yawn threatened to break her jaw as she tiredly walked out of the bathroom, one hand scratching the back of her head.

The hallway was darker than normal but it didn't deter the woman running on autopilot any. She lazily searched for her borrowed bedroom as she shuffled down the hall, contemplating if she should snag a snack or not from the kitchen on the way back. Whenever sleep eluded her, sometimes munching on food helped.

After stumbling down the hallway for a few minutes, she cursed her brother and his enormous mansion. Even if he was being very sweet and allowing her to reside there until she could finish her studies, she still hated the gigantic place. It made it super hard to navigate in the dark.

The sound of doors opening and closing reached her ears. Naomi hurried to her bedroom, all traces of sleepiness gone. Her brother was due back soon but he hadn't informed her when exactly. Flipping on the light, she dove for the gun hidden under the bed. Rick had taught her to always be prepared. She really couldn't blame him, not after that mummy from nine years ago.

She switched off the light after slipping on a pair of black flats then tip toed her way to the front parlor. It was so much easier navigating the mansion when you weren't half asleep.

Once she got to a set of closed double doors, she carefully eased one open just enough to squeeze through. By now she could distinguish voices and breathed a sigh of relief when her sister in law's mellow voice filled the corridor. She lowered her gun and placed it on the rounded table next to the stairs leading to the second floor.

"…to the lost oasis of Ahm Shere." Naomi quickly ducked into the shadows beneath the carpeted steps, not wanting them to know she was awake. Dressed in an old pair of sweatpants and worn baggy shirt would give away what she had been trying to do earlier.

"Evy, I know what you're thinking," She grinned at Rick's knowing tone. "and the answer is no. We just got home." There was a resounding thud and Naomi poked her head out just enough to see he had just dropped all their bags on the floor.

"Well, that's the beauty of it. We're already packed." Evy sounded smug at her brilliant idea. Rick walked over to her with a single finger up.

"Why don't you just give me one good reason."

"It's just an oasis," Evy grabbed his hat and threw it sideways. "Darling." Rick heaved a sigh as she walked around him while unwrapping his scarf. "A beautiful, exciting, romantic oasis."

Naomi giggled quietly behind her hand. She had always found a great source of entertainment from watching the couple.

Rick let out a "Mmm…" under his breath before sliding his hands slowly over her shoulders and down her back, forcing their bodies closer together. "The kind with the white, sandy beach and the palm trees and cool, clear, blue water." Evy nodded to each thing he mentioned. "We could have some of those big drinks with the little umbrellas."

Evelyn smiled. "Sounds good."

"Sounds too good." He grabbed the tops of her arms and pushed her back a step, bending over just enough to peer directly into her eyes. "What's the catch?"

"Supposedly it's the resting place of Anubis's army." She didn't bother trying to hide the truth. He threw up his hands, letting her continue toward the stairs to the second landing. Naomi ducked further back into the shadows and prayed they wouldn't see her. Her brother would more than likely hound her for not being in bed at the late hour.

"You see? I knew there's a catch. There's always a catch." Even with all the complaints, he still followed his wife. Running a hand through his hair, he added, "And let me guess. It was commanded by that Scorpion King guy?"

Evy was starting to sound excited. "Yes, but he only awakens once every five thousand years."

"Right." Naomi could practically feel the sarcasm dripping from his voice. "And if someone doesn't kill him, he's gonna wipe out the world."

"How did you know?" Evelyn's voice was filled with surprise.

Naomi heard their footsteps on the stairs as Rick answered, "I didn't. But that's always the story."

Evy went on ahead nonetheless. "The last known expedition to actually reach Ahm Shere was sent by Ramses the Fourth over three thousand years ago. He sent over a..." Her voice grew dimmer as they headed up. It wasn't until after their footsteps faded from the stairs that Naomi dared to breathe again.

She picked up her gun and stuffed it in the waistband of the gray sweatpants she was wearing for pajamas. After sweeping the area with her eyes once, she headed to the main living room where she knew Evy and Rick had gone to via the second floor.

She spotted their son struggling with an old style chest coming through a door in front of her after walking into the big room. Alex was grumbling under his breath when Naomi went over to help him. She ruffled his hair, much to his displeasure, then took one side, balancing the heavy weight between them.

"What's this?" She asked with curiosity lacing her tone. He shrugged, eyes drawn to the second floor where familiar voices were growing louder.

They saw his mother come in, slipping off the outer robe she had been wearing and draping it over the railing as she walked. "Alexander the Great sent troops in search of it." Evy said over her shoulder, addressing the person behind her.

"Hooray for him." Rick's voice was exasperated.

Naomi and Alex watched them for a bit while thunder crashed loudly outside. Then she turned back to Alex with one eyebrow raised. "Do you know what to do with this?" She asked him over his parents' conversation.

"So did Caesar."

Naomi snorted at her brother's reply to his wife's statement. "Yeah, look what happened to his career." Sometimes he made her want to kick him. Evy headed over to a bookshelf with her husband still following her and climbed up the ladder. Naomi decided to ignore them for the moment in favor of getting some answers.

"Where did you guys go anyway?"

Alex shrugged again as they carefully walked further into the room. "Some underground temple I think." They passed a huge square cut window with smaller squares cut into the glass. "Mom!" He yelled a few seconds later. "What do I do with this chest? This sucker weighs a goddang ton." Naomi giggled at his complaint. She looked up to see Evelyn lean over the railing to glare at her son.

"Alex, watch your language!" The stern tone of voice made Alex mumble something under his breath. The mother then seemed to notice who was holding the other end of the object in question. "Oh, hi Naomi."

Naomi waved. "Rather weighty, this." She gestured to the chest with her free hand. Evy turned back to Rick and their conversation quieted down to where Alex and Naomi could no longer hear what they were saying.

Alex pointed to an end table with a checker board carved onto the top. They heaved the object to the table and set it down with twin grunts. She laid one arm over her nephew's small shoulders as they turned around. "So what happened this time?" It seemed like whenever the O'Connells took their youngest member with them, he usually caused some sort of trouble.

"Well-" Alex started but halted suddenly, making Naomi jerk to a stop because her arm was still around his shoulders. "Huh?" He faced the chest with a confused look, forcing her to drop her arm, before walking back to the chest. When he placed the key in front of it, she rushed back to him.

"Alex, wait." The young boy didn't pay any attention to her as he turned the key. The lid popped open and he slowly lifted it. Both she and Alex gasped in awe at the golden ornament lying inside. She didn't stop him from picking up the sparkling object and placing it on his left wrist. The sides clamped shut with a defining clink.

Naomi backed away when he stepped back with his left arm raised then faced the area where his parents were still talking softly to each other on the second floor. She watched his back bend as if some sort of force had been applied.

A few seconds later, the blonde boy began tugging on the golden bracelet while muttering, "Aw, cripes, how do you get this thing off?" The question jarred his aunt into action. She tried pulling on the bracelet as well but to no avail.

"Great," She huffed after a moment of hard work. "Now what?" Alex just looked at her with frightened eyes. His parents were going to kill him and they both knew it. She blew some falling black strands out of her eyes then smiled brightly. "I have an idea."

"Hey, Alex, behave yourself for five minutes alright? Naomi, watch him." Rick called down to them.

"You betcha," They said at the same time while the boy slid his coat sleeve down, hiding the golden bracelet from sight. Naomi heard someone coming down the stairs and hurriedly motioned for Alex to follow her. Going over to the shelves by the chest, she quickly threw in a random baseball trophy and Alex slammed down the lid after her hand was clear. They turned as one to face the incoming person, both smiling nervously.

"Happy to be home?" Evy asked her son as she walked to them holding an opened book.

"Couldn't be happier," Alex replied.

Evy stopped in front of the boy and flipped the open book she had been reading so he could see. "It's the year of the Scorpion." Naomi grinned at the excited look that came over his face.

"Neat!"

"Thought you might like that," She said then addressed her sister in law with a smile. "Naomi. How are you?" The other woman shrugged.

"You were gone a long time Evy. The house was quiet without someone to argue with." The two friends shared a chuckle. Though Rick was technically only Naomi's half brother, the two got along very well. He had taught her everything he knew about guns and even some hand-to-hand combat skills after she started living with them. For safety purposes was his excuse to his disgruntled wife.

Evy let out an unexpected gasp. Naomi watched as the mother took one look at the blank space before the closed chest then turned to her son, who was still reading the book she had given him. "Where is the key to the chest?" He merely shrugged and set down the book on the back of a couch. She knelt in front of him, hands digging through the pockets of his coat. "Alex, I'm serious. If you've lost that key, you're grounded."

Naomi crossed her arms over her chest. "He didn't lose the key." Evy glanced at her while continuing her search.

"Right. I just can't find it. There's a difference." Alex tried to save his hide.

"Well you better start finding it then." And Evy was in her stern mother mode again. Naomi sighed. Both of them should be blamed if truth be told.

"There's nothing to worry about Evy." Naomi said just as a tall dark skinned man wearing red robes walked in.

"Good evening." The man said, probably trying to be polite even though he was an intruder. Naomi faced him as she backed up to where her relatives were standing. There was a cold look within the man's dark eyes.

"Who are you?" Naomi was surprised her voice didn't waver. Evy shot her a what-the-heck look. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for the chest, of course." The man stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Naomi saw Alex grab it out of the corner of her eye. "Give it to me now." The tone had turned darker.

Evelyn went to the weapons rack lining the wall to their right and grabbed two swords. She handed one to Naomi before standing directly in front of the tall man. Naomi took her place at Evy's side with Alex behind them both. The small gun in her waistband was all but forgotten.

"Get out. Of my house." Evy tried to look somewhat threatening. Naomi had to hand it to her sister in law though – hiding fear underneath threats seemed like a good strategy.

"Whoa, Mom. Maybe not the best idea," Alex could be a little dense at times. The two women raised their weapons higher.

"Alex, get back there." Naomi told the younger boy. For once the child obeyed without any complaining. More red robed men came into the room and flanked the dark skinned man's sides. Naomi swallowed. This was starting to look bad for them.

"Definitely not the best idea. I think it's time to yell for Dad now." Naomi agreed with him. Having Rick just might put their odds in better favor.

The man stepped forward with his henchmen following. "Now I will kill you and take it anyway."

"I think not." The male voice froze Naomi to her spot. The feeling that the voice was familiar, and beloved, invaded her thoughts. That she should know the deep tones and slight accent. The way it also made her weak in the knees.

The henchman of the dark skinned man wore expressions of apprehension as they ripped out their scimitars. A man dressed in black robes with silver on his black cape passed between Alex and Naomi. She struggled to wipe off the glazed look she just _knew_ was on her face as he passed, making it so all she glimpsed was his wavy shoulder length black hair.

"Ardeth, what are you doing here?" Evelyn asked, sending him a surprised look. It seemed like she already knew the newcomer. Naomi was strangely a little jealous.

He glanced at Evy. "Perhaps explanations are best kept for later." _Yes,_ Naomi agreed silently with a grimace. She wanted to know how her sister in law knew the man causing the weird déjà-vu sensation within her head.

When she settled her gaze on his back, a slight pain speared through her head. The black clothes he was wearing were replaced by a bare bronze back with the edges of a black headdress hanging down. A feeling of knowing that skin, had run her hands over it, filled her.

The vision was broken when someone spoke. Her startled eyes flew beyond Ardeth and landed on the tall dark skinned man. He had heaved a silent sigh. "Ardeth Bay."

"Lock-Nah." Thunder crashed beyond the mansion. Naomi stepped closer to the black robed Ardeth, steadily holding the sword Evy had given her in front of her. She glanced at his face a couple of times, stunned by the fact that she kinda recognized the gorgeous features. The dark brown of his eyes, the tattoos, even the facial hair. The tattoos looked to be written in Arabic and there was one on each cheek with a third across his forehead.

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I know it kinda ends abruptly but I had to split this chapter in two. So if you guys wanna know what happens next (if you haven't guessed it already) make me wanna update faster by reviewing!

Lightning Mistress

**Sneak preview of the next chapter – Plans Gone Wary (Part 2)**

_Embarrassment flooded her. The most gorgeous man she had ever met had seen her wearing sweatpants. _

_This just wasn't her night._


	2. Chapter 1 - Plans Gone Wary (Part 2)

- ducks thrown tomatoes - I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Here! Peace offering – the other half of chapter one. So please don't kill me just yet…I haven't had enough time playing with Ardeth.

Thank you for all the follows!

Please read and review!

Disclaimer** –** I _do not_ own Mummy or its characters. I don't even own the plot. All I own is the character I stuck in so that Ardeth could have some romance in his life.

**Twice In A Lifetime – **He began stalking toward her with a possessive gleam in his eyes. "Life in the desert is harsh." She nervously backed up a step for each one he took, mouth dry. He stopped in front of her after her back bumped into a tree trunk and placed his hands on either side of her head. "You better not regret your choice later." He breathed against her lips as his hands tangled in her hair.

**Chapter One – Plans Gone Wary (Part 2)**

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The two groups stared at each other for a few seconds before Lock-Nah yelled something in Arabic. The red robed men behind him surged forward while he opted to stay behind. Naomi saw Ardeth discard his cape, bringing his own scimitar into light. He blocked two attacks aimed for him at the same time.

Evy turned around, doing a cartwheel that smacked one henchman under his chin as her body flipped upwards. Alex had already started running for a hiding place somewhere behind his mother, away from the fight.

A henchman swung at the only one who hadn't moved yet. She blocked his first attack before kicking him in the side and grabbed an arm to swing him around her. When he was hit by a flying knife, she careened his body into another henchman rushing toward her. They collided with a sick thud than sank to the ground.

Naomi sidestepped a swing, pivoting so she could slash at his back. The edge of a scimitar nicked her thigh as she jumped backwards to avoid a flying red robed body that crashed into a wall. Wincing at the sudden sharp pain, she blocked an attack headed for her head. The man pushed against her sword and Naomi used the force to slide right between his legs. Once on her feet, she shoved the still bending man forwards.

She had no idea how she was able to fight like this, only following what her instinct dictated. The question was discarded a moment later as she scanned her surroundings while quickly trying to catch her breath. She saw Ardeth engaged in a fierce fight against Lock-Nah – one it seemed like he was currently losing. The strong desire to help him overcame her.

Naomi flipped her sword so that she was holding it backwards, first moving it back to catch an incoming red robed man then throwing it at the dark skinned man only a few meters in front of her. Lock-Nah dodged the weapon but got a punch in the stomach from Ardeth as a reward.

"What's in the chest?" He yelled as Naomi used one red robed man's sword to block another's.

"The bracelet of Anubis!" Evy's voice sounded a little strained. Naomi tackled a henchman that Evy had just disarmed. She rolled back onto her feet swiftly, flipping off the back of a couch to avoid more weapons aiming for her.

"Whoa! Where'd you learn to do that Naomi?" Evy asked her in shock as she landed beside her sister in law. Naomi looked down at her hands in total disbelief.

"I have no idea…"

Ardeth brought both of them back to the fight. "They must not get the bracelet! Get it and get out of here!" At the mention of the bracelet, Naomi frantically looked for her nephew. He seemed to be okay, hiding behind the corner of a bookshelf, though he no longer had the chest.

A flash of metal was her only warning of an incoming object and she crouched down on pure instinct. A scimitar whizzed above her head, slicing off a couple black strands in the process. She did a low sweeping kick to the henchman's legs, making him stagger sideways as he had almost dodged the attack and hit a chair, flipping head-over-feet over it.

"Mom, look out!" The frightened cry from Alex had Naomi whirling around. She saw Evy picking up the chest, unaware of the approaching henchman behind her. Evy clutched the chest to her as she turned around only to get a blow to her cheek, knocking her out for the time being while the deliverer threw her over his shoulder, grabbing the chest on his way out as well.

Naomi heard Ardeth call Evy's name and wildly looked back at him. Lock-Nah slashed his sword across Ardeth's upper arm before the black robed man was flipped sideways from another swing. Ardeth recovered quickly by leaning back against a wall, clutching a hand to his wound. Naomi desperately called his name when Lock-Nah sent a wicked knife straight at his head. Luckily, it missed as he moved out of the way.

"Mom!" Alex shouted as Evelyn was carried away. Lock-Nah picked up his outer robe, placing it on his shoulders as he followed the others out. Naomi ran to Alex to make sure he was okay. After giving him a tight hug which he grumbled about, she returned to where Ardeth supported himself against a wall.

"We need to find Rick." Naomi's voice was breathless from all the earlier fighting. Ardeth nodded in agreement, eyes scanning her form silently, making a slight blush spread on her cheeks.

Several gunshots were heard coming from outside, breaking the somewhat awkward moment for her. Naomi shared a concerned look with the older male before following Alex out. She saw Rick and her brother in law standing by the statue in the driveway, watching two black cars that were driving away at a fast speed.

"Dad! Dad!" Rick scooped up his son into his arms, hugging him close to his body. Naomi and Ardeth stopped in front of the two, both out of breath.

"Are you alright?" Rick asked the blonde boy. Then he noticed his little sister and sent her the same question. After getting twin positive answers, he set Alex back down on the ground. Naomi noticed how his body stiffened at the sight of the black robed man beside her.

Ardeth dipped his head. "O'Connell."

Before anyone could say anything, Rick fisted his hands in Ardeth's black clothing and shoved him against the statue behind him with an angry expression. Naomi raised a hand to stop him, not knowing exactly why she didn't like the way her brother was treating him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Great. Now she knew everyone but her was aquatinted with black robed man. "No, scratch that. I don't care." Naomi blinked at his confusing words. Jonathan had put his arm around Alex's shoulders and moved closer to his sister in law. Ardeth lifted his hands to try and explain what _had_ happened but Rick kept talking. "Who the hell are those guys? Where are they taking my wife?"

Ardeth rested his hands on Rick's upper arms, shaking him a little to gain his full attention. "My friend, I'm not sure," He reached into a hidden pocket and produced a black and white picture. "But wherever this man is, your wife will surely be." Naomi's eyebrows furrowed as she frowned. She didn't recognize who was in the picture at all.

Alex grabbed the photo out of his hand. "Hey, I know him." He looked up at Ardeth. "He's the curator. He works at the British Museum." Naomi thought it was a little funny that it was Alex, out of all the people in the small group, who recognized the man in the picture.

"Are you sure?" Ardeth asked. Rick rolled his eyes.

"Believe him. He spends more time there than at home." He guided his son to the side of their huge house, Naomi, Ardeth, and Jonathan trailing behind. "You're here, the bad guys are here, Evy's been kidnapped." The words were spoken as they ran to the sleek black car parked on the gravel. Naomi wondered what her brother meant by the first two. Was there a problem with him being there? "Let me guess."

"Yes, they once again removed the creature from his grave." Ardeth finished. Naomi stopped suddenly, the males going a few meters ahead then halting as well. She pointed a finger at Rick when they faced her.

"Just what the heck is going on here Rick?" She demanded. Jonathan looked from Naomi to Rick then back again. Ardeth stared at her with unwavering dark eyes, making her stomach flip flop from the intensity within them.

Alex also looked just as confused. "You mean she doesn't know?" Naomi placed her hands on her hips and focused on getting an explanation rather than drowning in Ardeth's gaze.

Rick ran a tired hand down his face. "Look, I'll explain on the way alright Nami?" He hadn't used that nickname in years. She nodded, unable to argue at the moment. They headed for the car once again, the conversation picking up right where it had left off before Naomi's interruption.

"I don't mean to point fingers," Jonathan started while gesturing to Ardeth with the golden stick he was carrying, "but isn't it your job to make sure that _doesn't _happen?" Naomi wondered why learning that tiny little fact made her happy.

"That woman who was with him, she knows things. Things that no living person could possibly know." Ardeth began explaining. Naomi kept one green eye on him as they walked, hoping she would figure out the reason why she felt so drawn to him – and soon. "She knew exactly where the creature was buried. We were hoping she would lead us to the bracelet. She obviously did."

_We?_ Naomi mouthed silently, confusion as to who he was referring to.

"And now they have it."

They had reached the car when Alex spoke up. "I wouldn't get too nervous just yet." He lifted the sleeve covering the golden bracelet, showing it to the others. Ardeth held it gingerly between his hands.

"Is that gold?" Naomi rolled her eyes. Typical Jonathan.

Alex continued. "When I stuck it on, I saw the pyramids at Giza. Then, whoosh! Straight across the desert to Karnack," Naomi knew that explained his actions from before, though she wondered why she hadn't seen the images too as she had been right there with him.

"By putting this on, you have started a chain reaction that could bring about the next apocalypse." Naomi snorted quietly when Alex loudly gasped. Even if that man was gorgeous as heck, he needed to lighten up a little. It would do them all no good scaring the pants off Alex. He was only eight years old for Pete's sake.

Rick decided to butt in then. He pointed at Ardeth. "You, lighten up." Then at Alex. "You, big trouble." Then Naomi. "You, be quiet." Then Jonathan. "You, get in the car."

Naomi shut her mouth. She had wanted to tell him that he should place the blame on her so that her favorite nephew wouldn't get in too much trouble but her brother had apparently already anticipated it.

They all piled in with Rick behind the wheel, Ardeth in the passenger seat, and Alex, Naomi, and Jonathan crowding the back. Ardeth turned slightly to keep talking to Rick as he took off at an alarmingly high speed.

"I am sorry if I alarmed your son, but you must understand, now that the bracelet is on his wrist, we have only seven days before the Scorpion King awakens." Naomi put both her hands on the back of the front seats and leaned forward.

"Who is the Scorpion King anyway?" She asked curiously. Rick glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "Well, you did promise an explanation."

"Right," He groaned. Looking at Ardeth briefly, he started. "By the way, this is Ardeth Bay. Ardeth, meet my annoying younger sister Naomi." She stuck her tongue out at him for the extra description. Ardeth turned to face her the best he could from his front seat position in the car. It was a good thing she was sitting in the middle between Alex and Jonathan, even though they all were squashed together.

When his dark eyes locked with hers, warmth swept through her body. He dipped his head in acknowledgement of her prescience. She did the same, though there was a strong desire to lean forward further and kiss those full lips. Shaking her head, she focused her attention back on Rick while Ardeth fully faced the front again.

It seemed he was becoming a dangerous man.

"I'm waiting."

Rick sighed. "You know about the mummy we put down nine years ago, right?" At her hesitant nod, he continued on. "Well, it's the same mummy the bad guys are now trying to raise again." She had heard some of the story when she began living with them a few years previous. However, the couple had never gone beyond "Killed a mummy that wanted to raise his dead girlfriend but failed."

"The creature I take it." Naomi concluded. Ardeth nodded, taking over the tale.

"The creature Imhotep had a curse placed upon him. The Medjai, my people, have watched over him for over three thousand years. He is not of this world though Evelyn had made him mortal during their last encounter." Naomi frowned.

"If he is not of this world," She began slowly. "then how is he mortal?" She suddenly realized she had directed the question not to her brother, but to the one who had not been there at the end it seemed.

Ardeth answered anyway. "She had sent his immortal soul to the underworld."

"Ahhh." That made sense. Naomi leaned forward further. "Yet you didn't kill him completely."

"Apparently not," Alex piped up. The car veered sharply to the right to avoid another vehicle, jarring all the occupants inside in the process.

Naomi decided to steer the conversation back to the problem at hand. "Anyways, what was this we earlier?"

Ardeth's eyes flickered to her face in the rearview mirror. "If he is not killed, he will raise the army of Anubis."

Jonathan leaned toward the front seat. "I take it that's not a good thing."

Naomi turned to him. "Oh, he'll wipe out the world." She had guessed it from the way the two in front of her were acting.

"Ah, the old "wipe out the world" ploy," Jonathan muttered while falling back against his seat again.

Ardeth continued on, "Whomever can kill the Scorpion King can send his army back to the Underworld or use it to destroy mankind and rule the Earth."

"So is that why they dug up this Imhotep?" Naomi wanted to know if her assumption was correct. When Rick nodded, it confirmed that the creature Ardeth was talking about, the mummy her relatives had 'put down' nine years ago, and the name Imhotep were all one person. Well, mummy.

Rick looked at the three sitting in back quickly. "He's the only guy tough enough to take out the Scorpion King."

"That is their plan." Ardeth confirmed.

Naomi's mouth opened to question how that would work exactly but snapped it closed when she saw they had arrived at the British Museum. Rick pulled off to the side, flipping the car around so that the back end faced the building and turned it off before twisting around to face the people in the back seat.

Naomi crossed her arms over her chest in a stubborn fashion. "I'm coming with you."

Her brother ignored her comment and looked at his son. "Alex, I've got a big job for you. Stay here with Naomi and protect the car."

"What?" Naomi sputtered in indignation. Rick gave her a pointed look. What? She could handle a gun pretty well. She was Rick's sister after all.

Jonathan raised a finger. "I can do that."

"Protect the car?" Alex deadpanned while rolling his eyes. "Come on Dad. Just because I'm a kid doesn't mean I'm stupid."

Rick ruffled his son's hair affectionately. "I know." Then he turned to the fuming Naomi. "Don't give me that look Nami. You're staying."

She blew some strands of her long black hair out of her eyes in annoyance. "No, I am not."

Ardeth got out of the car along with Rick. Right before her brother in law followed, he looked at the last two occupants. "If you see anyone come out screaming, it's just me." Rick poked his head back inside.

"Maybe you should stay here and watch him while Naomi comes instead."

Jonathan promptly sat back down clutching his golden staff tightly between his hands. "Yes, now you're talking."

Naomi looked at the roof of the car. Jonathan was a scaredy-cat through and through. Sending a thankful grin to her brother, she hopped over Jonathan and shut the car door behind her. Two other distinctive slams were heard before Ardeth and Rick appeared at the back of the car. Naomi followed, puzzled as to what was in the trunk that they would need.

Rick flipped up two golden latches on a sturdy wooden box, pulling the top up and letting the front fall down. Inside was a brown cloth hooked onto the back with snaps. He pulled the cloth towards him, revealing a ton of guns strapped within.

"You want the shotgun?" He asked Ardeth.

"No, I prefer the Thompson." The Medjai picked up the weapon. Naomi scanned her eyes over the remaining guns, not knowing which one to choose. Rick made the decision for her by handing her a shotgun silently.

She gingerly took it while mumbling her thanks. They started getting their individual weapons ready in silence. Naomi caught the movement of Ardeth's body going still for a moment in her peripheral vision.

"If I were to say to you," His voice sounded cautious to her. "I'm a stranger traveling from the east, seeking that which is lost-"

"Then I would reply that I am a stranger traveling from the west. It is I whom you seek." Rick answered with confusion lacing his tone. Naomi stepped closer, curious as to what they were talking about.

"How-" She started but Ardeth cut in.

"Then it is true." He chuckled and grabbed Rick's right wrist, bringing it upwards. Naomi saw what looked like a tattoo on the part facing the dark sky. She couldn't tell what it was exactly but apparently it meant something. "You have the sacred mark."

Naomi leaned over and pointed at the "sacred mark." "What, that?"

Rick twisted his arm out of Ardeth's grip. "No, that got slapped on me in an orphanage in Cairo." Her heart constricted painfully at the mention of an orphanage. Even though they were related by blood, she had known what a family home was like growing up while he had not. It didn't seem fair to her.

Ardeth was still facing her brother. "That mark means you're a protector of man, a warrior for God, a Medjai." He said the last word proudly. Naomi's hands tightened around her weapon. Did that mean he had one also? There was a burning urge to capture both of his wrists and check. Just the thought of touching his skin almost made it worthwhile.

Rick cocked his rifle. "Sorry. You've got the wrong guy."

All conversation died after that. Thunder boomed loudly in the night sky as the three of them finished gathering what they needed for their weapons before heading toward the front doors of the British Museum. It wasn't until they were on the steps leading up that Ardeth spoke up again.

"Is she really going in like that?" He gestured at Naomi. Her eyes flew down to her attire, suddenly remembering what exactly she was wearing. The black shirt wasn't too dirty though there was a rip toward the bottom on the front. Her feet were somewhat protected by a pair of black flats. Her small gun was still tucked into the waistband of her sweatpants that had a tear on her left thigh and her long hair had begun to fall out of the braid she had put it in before going to bed.

She hadn't had the time to change into some real clothes yet.

Embarrassment flooded her. The most gorgeous man she had ever met had seen her wearing sweatpants.

This just wasn't her night.

Naomi raised her chin defiantly. She ignored the two men behind her as she marched straight up the stairs. Her cheeks burned with the force of her embarrassment but she wouldn't let it get the best of her. Besides, why would he ever look at her twice now?

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

And now the original ending of the first chapter.

So how do you like my character? Please let me know!

Lightning Mistress

**Sneak preview of the next chapter – Mummies, Mummies, Mummies**

_He merely pulled her toward him and she fell right into his lap. His arms wrapped around her struggling body._

_"Calm down." His deep voice soothed._

**Also a major thank you to this person for their review – **

**princesskitty68 **** - **I don't know if this was funny or not but still, thank you so much for your wonderful review!


	3. Chapter 2 - Mummies, Mummies, Mummies

I just wanna say thank you to everyone that has reviewed, favorited, and/or followed this story. I've been working on this fic non-stop for the past month and am really happy people are reading and enjoying it.

Sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes – I try really hard to catch them all before posting…

Please read and review!

Disclaimer** –** I _do not_ own Mummy or its characters. I don't even own the plot. All I own is the character I stuck in so that Ardeth could have some romance in his life.

**Twice In A Lifetime – **He began stalking toward her with a possessive gleam in his eyes. "Life in the desert is harsh." She nervously backed up a step for each one he took, mouth dry. He stopped in front of her after her back bumped into a tree trunk and placed his hands on either side of her head. "You better not regret your choice later." He breathed against her lips as his hands tangled in her hair.

**Chapter Two – Mummies, Mummies, Mummies**

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Rick and Ardeth led the way. Naomi trailed behind them with her gun raised half way, green eyes flashing to each new shadow in the darkened room. Dozens of sarcophaguses filled the space, some standing upright inside display cases while others were laid open in the middle of the floor. The loud noises from the thunderstorm had anxiety swimming through her. She really hoped they would all live through this night.

The place was eerily silent. Naomi was tempted to reach out and grab the back of Ardeth's black cloths but firmly squashed the feeling. Instead she merely sidled closer to the man.

Chanting could be faintly heard about halfway down the elongated room. The three of them followed the noise with their weapons raised in front of their bodies. Ardeth turned around to check the area behind them.

A shriek pierced the quiet. Naomi let out her own shriek of surprise when a mummy shot up in one of the sarcophaguses sitting in the middle of the room. Rick pointed his gun at the still shrieking mummy, backing up to aim better while Ardeth put a hand on Naomi's shoulder to do the same.

When they bumped into a display case, something also hit the glass behind them. They whirled around as one and saw the mummy inside jerkily moving. More shrieks and growls filled the air as the other mummies began moving. It seemed like they were trying to get the only living beings in the room.

Ardeth pushed Naomi between himself and Rick as they hurried on. They eventually came to an overlooking area that had wooden beams shooting straight up about every five feet. Below was a circle of red robed men kneeling and bowing repeatedly. In the middle was a honey colored thing that Naomi was guessing held Imhotep. To the left sat Evy on a wooden board with two handles sticking out at the ends of each side. A man wearing a red turban was reading from what looked like a black metal book with both hands raised as if in prayer on the right.

Rick went to hide behind one beam while Ardeth ducked behind the one next to him. Naomi stayed with the Medjai, poking her head out to watch the proceedings below. Ardeth looked at Rick, though the other man kept his eyes trained on his wife sitting up with ropes around her wrists and ankles.

Evy was watching the tall object in the middle where something broke out of it a few minutes later. The chanting had ceased by now, all red robed men unmoving but still kneeling on the ground and bowing. The sound of a door opening drew their attention to the top part of the large room where a woman in black walked in.

A slight pain speared through Naomi's head. She winced, fingers digging into the metal of her gun harder. Even though they were standing far enough away from the new woman to not see many details, Naomi still saw her appearance shift. The black became gold and there were golden jewels decorating the top of her head, around her neck and around the upper part of her arms. The image was gone a second later, leaving Naomi confused and her thoughts in turmoil.

_What the heck is happening to me?_

The woman in black stopped in front of the brown thing that Naomi now realized was a mummy. The mummy walked around her once.

Rick sighed, pointing his gun upwards. "You know, a couple of years ago this would've seemed really strange to me." He said softly before gently slapping Ardeth's arm on his way past. Naomi assumed he was referring to when the mummy had first risen.

She reached out and laid a hand on her brother's arm. He looked at her with serious blue eyes. "I'm staying here." She whispered while offering him a tiny smile. Rick nodded then continued on. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face the Medjai who was watching her. When his dark eyes caught hers, she froze for half a second in surprise then hurried to hide behind the beam Rick had vacated.

"Do you see Rick?" Naomi whispered a few seconds later. He pointed to the shadow moving swiftly between crates and boxes to the sarcophagus with a roaring flame inside. The wooden board under Evy was lifted by several red robed men and began heading for the fire. Naomi jerked forwards unknowingly but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up and saw Ardeth shake his head. Knowing he was right didn't make her feel any better.

All the attention was riveted on Evy's impending demise. Naomi clutched her weapon tighter with each passing second her brother didn't swoop in and rescue the love of his life. She felt heat on her back and knew Ardeth had shifted closer to her. His even breaths blew on her neck, ruffling loose strands of her hair against her skin.

"Follow my lead," The low whisper near her ear made her shiver. Naomi nodded her acknowledgement, unable to trust her voice.

Rick suddenly jumped through the top of the roaring fire and landed on the wooden board holding Evelyn. He threw her over his shoulder while punching a red clad man out of his way. Ardeth began shooting the wood after the couple moved out of the way and Naomi copied him, aiming to distract them from her brother and sister in law.

It proved to be difficult to not hit any living being as she fired towards the ground. Bullets were skyrocketing off things and she hoped that would scare most of the underlings away. Ardeth aimed for the mummy, some bullets tearing through its dead flesh as it moved a couple steps toward the overlooking area.

A flash of metal caught her eye. The woman wearing black had a gun in her hands and was pointing it straight at where they were standing – as well as some of the other men. Ardeth yanked her against his chest as he swung them around so his back banged into the beam. He had one arm holding his gun while the other wrapped around her waist. The heavy sounds of thuds and the slight shaking in the wood behind them had Naomi's eyes widening. She regained her senses a few seconds later as the sounds and shaking continued, nudging the Medjai with her own weapon to remind him they still had a purpose to fulfill.

He let her go and hurried to reload his gun. She followed suit with her hands shaking slightly. Screams, grunts and cries of pain resounded in the large room. They turned back to the fight below and she saw Lock-Nah with two small guns shooting at them. They backed up as one while still firing. Bullets kept hitting spots right around the both of them though luckily none connected with any living flesh.

Evy and Rick were slowly backing up to the metal stairs leading to where Ardeth and Naomi were while also firing. She covered for them as they sprinted up the steps. Ardeth started firing off to the right and a second later there was an explosion that knocked the people nearest to it on the ground. He did the same to the left as well.

The married couple was almost to Naomi when Imhotep began speaking loudly in Arabic. She couldn't distinguish the words even though she had some training in the language. The mummy was holding a dull blue vase when he faced his enemies and lifted the lid off. A huge swirl of sand burst forth and solidified into four new mummies next to him.

Ardeth and Naomi met up with her brother and his wife. Rick groaned, "Oh, no. Not these guys again."

Naomi was about to ask him what he meant when Ardeth grabbed her free hand. Before she could fully focus on the fact that he was actually holding her hand, he dragged her behind him. They followed the O'Connells to a set of double doors. Rick had his gun pointed in front of him as they all rushed out. Ardeth didn't let go of Naomi's hand while they kept running. She saw Evelyn halt suddenly then turn back. Rick went after her.

"Honey, wha'cha you doin'? These guys don't use doors." For some reason the sentence made Naomi laugh out loud despite the dire situation. Ardeth shot her a bewildered look over his shoulder. Rick and Evy caught up to them and they ran around the edge of the Museum toward the parked car.

"Where the hell's Jonathan?" Naomi shouted angrily when she didn't see anyone in the car. A red double-decker bus skidded to a stop in front of the group of four. Naomi's emerald orbs went wide when she spotted her brother in law behind the wheel with her nephew standing beside him.

"Alex!" Evy called happily.

Rick's eyes narrowed. "What's the matter with my car?" He stayed put while his wife rushed for the back end. Ardeth tugged Naomi along with him as he followed the mother onto the bus, his hand still wrapped around hers.

"I was forced to find an alternative means of transportation." Jonathan's voice sounded a little nervous.

Evy immediately ran to her son and dropped down to pull him into a tight hug once onboard. Ardeth stopped right before the two, looking out the side windows. Naomi could see Jonathan leaning out a smaller window to his left as he talked with Rick.

"A double-decker bus?!"

Jonathan pointed a finger at the blonde boy in his mother's arms. "It was his idea!"

Naomi rolled her eyes. Yea, sure. Blame it on the youngest.

"Was not!" Alex retorted hotly.

"It was too!"

"Just go!" Rick yelled before hurrying to the end and jumping on as Jonathan floored the gas pedal. The unexpected forward motion made Naomi bump into Ardeth's back. She pulled away with a light blush, highly aware that he hadn't let go of her hand yet.

"Was not!" Alex yelled one last time.

"Oh, jeez." Naomi mumbled under her breath at the childish display.

The loud sound of bricks tumbling to the ground filled the still night air. Naomi's head whipped around to look out the back window of the bus. Rick was still standing in the area where passengers would climb on and off, stuffing new bullets into his rifle. Ardeth let go of Naomi's hand and went to stand at the window with his weapon at the ready. She followed, wanting to help the men somehow.

She saw the four mummies running toward them. One jumped on Rick's car and walked over it, crushing the hood down. Her brother leaned out of the bus with a distressed look on his face. "No, no! Not my car!" Then he pulled himself back in. Naomi inched forwards some more, shotgun pointing down. What she heard next from her brother made her giggle – to which Ardeth shot her another puzzled look. "Oh, I _hate_ mummies."

"Glad to see me now?" Ardeth asked sarcastically. Rick raised an eyebrow.

"Just like old times, huh?"

Naomi didn't get the chance to ponder over that statement as Rick hurried up the stairs to the second deck. She scooted closer to the Medjai, adrenaline pumping high in her veins as she looked out the back window of the double-decker bus.

One of the approaching mummies got jerked around by something. Another flipped over its head while the one next to it grazed a car driving in the opposite direction. She tried to keep her eyes on the incoming objects even though the mummies split two and two to climb the walls on either side.

"Right," Naomi said out loud. One mummy crawling along a wall got blasted again, dust surrounding it as it fell.

Ardeth shoved Naomi behind him when one of the mummies came flying into the bus to their right. Both immediately began firing at it nonstop and eventually it flew right back out again. Several thuds followed by loud gunshots were heard coming from the second deck.

Naomi tried to reload her gun before any more mummies showed up but dropped it when a loud roar startled her. The top half of the one they had blasted at before was using its hands to maneuver itself along the metal bars connected to the roof.

Ardeth threw his gun to Naomi, who barely caught it, and backed up a couple of steps. The mummy followed him, backhanding him and sending him straight into a window. Naomi tossed the weapon he had given her at the mummy's back to distract it while the Medjai picked himself back up. The mummy twisted it head 180 degrees to look at her with no visible eyes. She choked back a scream when it lowered its jaw past the point of a normal human's and roared.

"Naomi!" Ardeth called as the mummy jerked what was left of its body around to face her. She took a step back and banged into the back window. He lunged at the hunk of dead flesh. "Get down!"

The mummy merely swung to the right to avoid his attack then grabbed the collar of his black robes. He careened into a window again as the mummy flung him sideways. Naomi suddenly remembered the small gun in the waistband of her sweatpants and hastily pulled it out. Aiming at the mummy's head, she fired twice before dive bombing across the floor to where Ardeth had landed. He yanked her up with him, watching as the mummy used the railings on the ceiling to move toward them. It slashed its hand at Naomi but she ducked, pivoting so she could still keep the thing in sight.

Ardeth punched the mummy in the face, sending it flying diagonally into the wall hiding the stairs to the second deck. Naomi rushed to his side to check if he was okay. Evy screamed when the mummy suddenly elevated itself up onto the back of the seat right behind Naomi. She whirled around to be faced with the nails in the mummy's hand lengthening to deadly points.

The mummy swiped at Ardeth's arm, creating three trails of blood within the torn material. Naomi gasped when she felt something sharp scrape her skin. Looking down, she saw similar marks as the ones on the Medjai. Apparently the mummy got two for one.

She distantly heard Evy shrieking, "Turn! Turn! Turn!" The bus jerked to the left, sending both the mummy and Naomi crashing into the side. Ardeth had managed to grab hold of a metal pole, thereby steadying himself against the sharp turn. Jonathan let out a couple yelps of surprise as he drove.

The bus weaved back and forth, helping Naomi get out of the mummy's way as she dodged its attacks. Ardeth circled around the huge piece of dead flesh and stopped in front of her. For some reason, Naomi had this weird feeling he had been trying to protect her the entire time.

Ardeth groaned in pain as he staggered sideways. Naomi's eyes flew to the shoulder of his injured arm and saw three more jagged lines. He landed on a seat while she took a step forwards, intent on jumping in front of him. The mummy roared once before being blown back. Her head snapped up to see Evelyn standing by Alex holding a rifle. She shot the mummy again before the thing could recover. The next one sent the mummy crashing through the back window. Naomi knelt down by Ardeth, eyes roaming his body for any other wounds.

"Look out!" Alex suddenly yelled. The bus turned sharply again. Naomi grabbed onto Ardeth's black clothing so she wouldn't fall backwards. She didn't let go after somewhat finding her balance, wide eyes looking out the front window. A low tunnel made of solid wood loomed before them. She knew the ceiling of it was too low for the double-decker bus. Fear washed through her when the bus started going under it. Sounds of metal screeching mixed with loud crashes.

Naomi shot to her feet and turned to the stairs at the back of the bus. Her arm was yanked out of its socket as she tried to walk past the Medjai. She looked down and saw his hand wrapped around her wrist. The fear for her brother had clouded any rational thoughts as she immediately tugged on his strong hold, stepping backwards for more force. He merely pulled her toward him and she fell right into his lap. His arms wrapped around her struggling body.

"Let me go!" Naomi hissed. "Rick's still up there!" Her efforts were in vain – he had arms of steel.

"Calm down." His deep voice soothed. She halted her movements but refused to look at him. Crossing her arms under her chest, she swung her heel back to smash into the side of his leg. He didn't flinch or utter a sound and she hoped he got her message. His arms remained around her even as the bus started to slow down.

"Great driving Uncle Jon." Alex exclaimed happily.

"Yeah," came the soft answer.

The bus finally stopped a moment later. Rick bounded down the stairs looking a little banged up but otherwise unharmed. Naomi squealed in delight that her brother was safe but didn't make a move to get up, not noticing his raised eyebrow at her position on Ardeth's lap. Rick stopped in front of the two sitting down then pointed at them.

"You alright?" He panted. Ardeth removed his arms so Naomi could stand. Red covered her face and she couldn't look anyone in the eye.

"This was…my first bus ride." The Medjai said, breathing harshly as well. Naomi took several deep breaths to help slow her thundering pulse. Rick leaned back while exhaling loudly then looked at his wife. Evy made a come-hither motion with her index finger. He smiled, sliding closer to her.

"What would I do without you?" Evy put her arms around his shoulders.

"Are all librarians this much trouble?"

Naomi shared an exasperated look with their son. "Oh, jeez," She started.

"Get a room." Alex finished for her. His parents ignored the comment and kissed, making Naomi avert her eyes from the tender scene. They found a pair of smoldering dark brown orbs trained on her instead. She vaguely noticed Alex passing between them as their eyes stayed locked.

It seemed like the world faded away. Her throat went dry and she licked her lips nervously. Her fingers clenched in the material of her sweatpants when she saw his eyes follow the movement of her tongue. The moment was broken however when there was a muffled shout from Alex. She whirled around to see her brother running out the bus after a black car. Evy was following him, only just a few meters behind. Naomi rushed out of the bus as well, somehow knowing Ardeth would come with her. She watched as Rick ran down the street toward a lifting break in the bridge.

"He's not gonna make it…" She muttered after stopping a little ways away from the bus. A warm weight settled on her shoulders, letting her know Ardeth had stopped behind her. Rick came back with dejection outlining his whole body after watching the car with his son drive away on the other side. He immediately took Evy into his arms. Naomi moved away from Ardeth and headed for the disrot couple. She laid her head against Rick's shoulder in silent comfort, knowing it was harder on the parents since it had been their son.

"Please, do not fear for your son, my friends." Ardeth spoke in the heavy air. Naomi lifted her head, wondering if he had meant to direction that sentence to her as well. Jonathan caught up to the group as she shuffled back from her brother. "They cannot hurt him, for he wears the bracelet of Anubis."

Evy's head shot up, almost colliding with her husband's chin. "Alex is wearing the bracelet?" She asked in disbelief. Naomi looked at the upset mother.

"When he put it on, he said he saw the pyramids at Giza, the temple at Karnack." She explained.

"And when they reach Karnack, the bracelet will show him the next step of the journey." The Medjai continued on.

Evy lowered her eyes in concentration. "Well, if we don't get to Karnack before them, we won't have any idea where to look for him next." Naomi focused on Rick's face deep in thought.

"Seems to me like we need a magic carpet." He muttered out loud.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Just to let everyone know. This fic is not a very long one, doesn't even hit ten chapters, but I still go through the whole second Mummy movie. I might add an extra chapter at the end as an after scene type thing. Depends on how many people want it though.

Lightning Mistress

**Sneak preview of the next chapter – The Magic Carpet**

_Seeing the look on her brother's face, Naomi thought it might be nice to warn the poor man what would happen next. "Izzy, you were right."_

_"I was?" He looked surprised._

_"Yeah." Rick pulled out a gun and pointed it at the pilot. "You're gonna get shot."_

**Also a major thank you to these people for their reviews – ****CeffylGwyn ****and ****thakidisbac**


	4. Chapter 3 - The Magic Carpet

I'm actually a little nervous about this chapter. You'll see why towards the end.

Please R&R!

Disclaimer** –** I _do not_ own Mummy or its characters. I don't even own the plot. All I own is the character I stuck in so that Ardeth could have some romance in his life.

**Twice In A Lifetime – **He began stalking toward her with a possessive gleam in his eyes. "Life in the desert is harsh." She nervously backed up a step for each one he took, mouth dry. He stopped in front of her after her back bumped into a tree trunk and placed his hands on either side of her head. "You better not regret your choice later." He breathed against her lips as his hands tangled in her hair.

**Chapter Three – The Magic Carpet**

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Ardeth left them after arriving in Egypt two days later. He had said something about informing the commanders of his people about the revival of the creature. Naomi hadn't wanted him to go, not knowing if she would ever see him again. Evy, Rick and Jonathan had all seemed fine with the Medjai's decision.

Before they had parted, he had addressed them all with one sentence. "I will meet up with you again my friends." As he had walked away, she had wondered if he had said that to make her feel better.

Naomi sighed at the memory, chin in her hand with her elbow resting on the car door they had borrowed. The slightly suspicious and calculating look on Rick's face after she had turned back to face the group was still there whenever she dared to glance at him. She contemplated if he knew of her fast growing feelings for the Medjai.

And if he did, was it a good thing or a bad thing?

"Naomi!"The sudden call of her name startled her. Her arm slipped off in surprise though she somehow managed not to bang her head. Dust within the slight wind hounded her face. The only problem with Egypt? Dust everywhere.

The white car slowed to a stop and she was the first one to jump out, not even bothering with the door. After sitting down for hours, it felt really good to be standing again. Naomi stretched her arms over her head as she followed the others. Jonathan was still holding onto his scepter – much to her amusement.

Swinging her arms by her sides, she glanced down at her outfit. They had all grabbed a change of clothes along with a few bags before beginning their journey to Egypt. Her tight fitted black pants were tucked into a pair of dark heeled boots. The charcoal blouse flapped against her naturally tanned body from the breeze and her dark hair had been re-braided. She had slung a small square light brown knapsack that was carrying only a few things diagonally over her shoulder to complete the ensemble.

Naomi stopped in disbelief when she saw the huge wooden double doors ahead. "_This_ is the magic carpet?" She asked incredulously.

"He'll be fine. He's a professional." Rick seemed totally convinced of his judgment. One look at Jonathan and Evelyn had Naomi begging to differ.

As they approached the beat up wooden doors, one opened backwards and a brown skinned man wearing light clothes came out humming. He grounded to a halt once he got a good look at the group approaching then gasped.

Rick opened his arms in a friendly gesture with a huge smile. "Izzy!"

"Aah!" The man named Izzy began fumbling back toward the wooden door in desperation. Naomi raised an eyebrow when the door banged shut and the sounds of several locks clicking reached their ears.

"Hey!" Rick exclaimed, face losing the grin.

Evy didn't sound a bit surprised when she decided to comment, "He definitely remembers you."

Her husband huffed in annoyance before heading to the double doors. "He's a little shy." He remarked over his shoulder.

"Jonathan, get our bags." Naomi jerked a thumb at the borrowed white car. Her brother in law immediately started shaking his head, holding up his prized golden scepter.

"Oh, my hands are full."

She confiscated the object. "Now."

"Right. I'll get the bags." He turned back to the car.

Naomi smiled sweetly then returned her attention to her brother.

"I'll deal with the flight details." Rick told the two girls standing behind him. Evy scooted closer to her husband.

"Honey, you're not a subtle man."

He shot her an innocent look before shooting the outside lock off. "We don't have time for subtle." Naomi chuckled and handed him the scepter she had taken from Jonathan with a smirk. He looked at her with a What-the-heck-am-I-going-to-do-with-this expression. She shrugged, knowing he would find a use for the object later.

Shaking his head, he kicked open the wooden doors. Izzy had walked further beyond, whimpering to himself here and there about something no one could hear. Rick headed straight for the brown skinned man trying desperately to get away.

"Izzy, come here." He called.

Izzy stopped by a desk piled high with papers sitting in the completely open area. "Oh, no, no." Naomi looked at Evy with mirth dancing in her eyes.

"Doesn't look very happy to see you brother." Naomi taunted. He looked at her over his shoulder with a serious face.

"Never turned me down yet."

Naomi stepped closer to Evy. "Wonder why, huh?" She whispered. The other woman snorted. Really was a no brainer.

"Whatever it is, whatever you need, I don't care." Izzy started grabbing random rolls of paper off the desk, even lifting a sleeping man's face off one, and placed them under his right arm. "Forget it, O'Connell. Every time I hook up with you," He pointed one roll of paper at Rick, "I get shot! Last time, I got shot in the ass." He walked behind the table, waving a roll of paper in the air. "I'm in mourning for my ass."

The group of three followed him. "Remember that bank job in Marrakesh?" The question was sent directly to the male O'Connell. Naomi looked at Evelyn in confusion.

"Bank job?" They asked at the same time. Rick twisted around to address the females as they went under a straw roofed shelter.

"It's not like it sounds."

Izzy straightened. "Uh, it's exactly how it sounds." He looked at Evy and Naomi stopping just behind Rick. "I'm flying high, hiding in the sun. The white boy here flags me down, so I fly in low for the pickup. The next thing you know, I get shot!" Rick had leaned one arm against a wooden pole nearby, apparently already familiar with the sob story. Evy eyed her husband while Naomi giggled to herself. "I'm lying in the middle of the road with my spleen hanging out, and I see _him_ waltzing up with some belly dancer girl."

Rick began making shushing noises at the mention of the belly dancer girl. Naomi crossed her arms, eyeing her brother warily. "Belly dancer girl?"

"Izzy," Evy's voice was stern. "I think you and I should talk."

Rick turned to face her with a sheepish look. He shrugged at her raised eyebrow then returned his attention to Izzy. The brown skinned man looked pointedly at Evy. "As long as I don't get shot."

Naomi nodded. Seemed fair enough to her.

"Quit your whining." Rick said, apparently fed up with the way the conversation was going. He reached into the front pocket of his trousers and pulled out a big wad of cash. "You're gonna get paid this time." Izzy caught the bills easily without dropping any rolls of paper.

Naomi slowly turned her head to the left as the two men talked. A man reading a newspaper was taking a bath in the open air. She nudged Evy so she could see the odd sight as well while the man just flipped a page of his newspaper.

"O'Connell, have you looked around here any? Huh? What do I need money for?" Izzy waved the bills in front of him before putting it in a front pocket of his light brown over-shirt. "What the hell am I gonna spend it on?"

Rick stepped closer to Izzy and lowered his voice. "I'm gonna keep this short. My little boy is out there. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get him back." He stopped talking when he noticed how Izzy's eyes were riveted to the golden scepter in his right hand. Izzy began muttering under his breath, eyes never leaving the object as Rick experimentally moved it around.

"O'Connell, if you give me that gold stick there, you can shave my head, wax my legs and use me for a surfboard." All the rolls of paper he had gathered in his arms dropped when he caught the golden scepter Rick tossed him with both hands.

Rick placed his hands on his hips. "Didn't we do that in Tripoli?" His head turned at the sound of Naomi's loud laughter. She pressed a hand to her mouth in an effort to quiet down. Just the image of what Izzy had said made more bursts of hysterical giggles come out. Her brother shook his head before facing Izzy again.

"Say, by the way, when did you," He gestured to his own eye. "lose your eye?"

The brown skinned man chuckled. "Oh. I didn't." He lifted the eye patch. "I just thought it made me look more dashing." The explanation had more low noises escaping from Naomi. Rick "Uh-huh."ed then ripped it off quickly.

"Come on. Get to work." He commanded. Izzy walked around Rick, heading out of the straw roofed shelter but paused by where the two girls were standing. Naomi smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry. My name is Naomi and this is Evelyn." She gestured to herself then Evy.

"Hello Naomi, Evelyn." He said then continued on out. The three O'Connells followed him, Jonathan joining up and handing them their respective bags as they started walking down a slope. Izzy was walking beside Evy with Naomi on his other side.

"You're not exactly catching me at my best." He told the two women in way of an explanation. Probably for earlier was Naomi's hunch.

Evy politely smiled at him. "Oh, I'm sure I am."

The sound of a horse whinnying made Naomi's heart rate increase. Directly in front of them were thirteen horses, a black robed man with matching black turbans sitting on the backs of each animal. One dismounted and gave the reins to the person next to him. Naomi grinned widely when she saw Ardeth coming toward them.

"I knew it. I'm gonna get shot." Izzy mumbled from beside her.

"Oh, be quiet." She whispered, nudging him.

Rick raised one hand in greeting as the group halted. Ardeth began explaining who was behind him as he neared the group, "These are the commanders of the twelve tribes of the Medjai."

He stopped before them and held out an arm. "Horus!" A small falcon like bird flew to him and landed on the thick glove he was wearing on his left hand.

"Ah. Pet bird." Jonathan commented.

Ardeth looked at him while softly running the back of a finger over the feathers on the animal's chest. "My best and most clever friend. He will let the commanders know of our progress so that they may follow." He turned around and Naomi watched in complete fascination as he raised his free hand, palm facing the commanders. "Allah who mana!" The other Medjai repeated the phrase in Arabic before leading their horses around and galloping off.

"If the Army of Anubis arises," He faced them again, "they will do all they can to stop it."

When the group began moving once more, he fell into step next to Naomi, much to her surprised delight. Evy had moved up to walk with Rick while Jonathan was all by his lonesome in the back because Izzy had hurried on ahead.

Naomi wanted to start a normal conversation with the beautiful man now that they weren't fighting for their lives but didn't know what to say to break the ice. She opened and closed her mouth several times before it was him who broke the silence between them as they all followed a worn dirt path.

"How are you related to O'Connell?" The question made her smirk. Of all things…

She glanced at him while replying, "He's my half-brother technically."

"Half brother?" He sounded confused so she explained.

"My mother was Egyptian actually." Naomi shrugged casually when he raised an eyebrow. "Rick's father met her in Egypt one day and they had a one night stand that resulted in me. He went back to England the next day and my mother never heard from him again."

Ardeth shifted a little closer to her. "And how did you find him?"

A soft smile graced her features at the fond memory, knowing who he meant. "After my mother passed away, I studied languages at a school in England. My mother had always wanted me to know the country of my father. So I used the money she had been saving for me since I was born and went. Then one day, I ran across Evelyn at the British Museum." She grinned at his stunned expression. "Oh, yes. Evy was the first one I met. They were already married and Alex was four at the time. We began arguing over something dealing with Ancient Egypt. Rick heard us and came rushing over."

"Did he know about you beforehand?" He interjected when she took a breath.

"No," she continued, eyes watching the back of her brother, "I don't think so. During that encounter, it somehow came out that I was half British, half Egyptian. With the help of Evy and a few good hours of arguing, we connected our stories that our parents had told us and found out that I was actually his half sister." She skipped ahead a few paces then turned around to walk backwards so she could face him. "Though I may not look like it, I'm actually only three years younger than him."

"Rick, are you sure Izzy's reliable?" Evy's loud question effectually ended their conversation. Naomi fell back by his side, pushing her long braid back over her shoulder with a tiny grin.

"Yeah, yeah, he's reliable-ish." Rick answered. They rounded a corner where something huge floated a few feet off the ground in front of them. Naomi spotted Izzy coming back to them.

"Isn't she beautiful?" He sighed once they were within hearing range.

"It's a balloon." Naomi deadpanned. Izzy rolled his eyes.

"Oh! It's a dirigible."

Rick lifted his arms to gesture at open air. "Where's your airplane?"

The brown skinned man moved his handkerchief up and down once in the air. "Airplanes are a thing of the past." By now the group had stopped and was fanned out on either side of Rick. Izzy stopped when he reached them.

Seeing the look on her brother's face, Naomi thought it might be nice to warn the poor man what would happen next. "Izzy, you were right."

"I was?" He looked surprised.

"Yeah." Rick pulled out a gun and pointed it at the pilot. "You're gonna get shot."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! She's faster than she looks." Izzy backpedaled quickly. "And quiet. Real quiet." It seemed like that was added to help ease Rick further. "Perfect for sneaking up on people, which is a very good thing." Izzy moved closer to the male O'Connell. "Unless, of course, we go with your approach – barging in face-first, guns blazing, and gettin' your friends shot in the ass!"

Rick couldn't argue with that so he put away the weapon with a shrug. Naomi noticed how Ardeth eyed the floating object warily.

"Why can't you people ever keep your feet on the ground?" The question probably wasn't meant to be answered but Naomi couldn't help herself. She looped her arm through the one Horus wasn't resting on and smiled brightly when he looked down at her.

"But where's the fun in that?"

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

If anyone knows exactly what Ardeth said to the Medjai commanders please tell me. It would be very much appreciated.

Thank you!

Lightning Mistress

**Sneak preview of the next chapter – Visions of the Past**

_Her heart fluttered. "Do you recognize the name 'Naeemah'?"_

_"Naeemah was a High Priestess." He turned to face the dark sky. "She was known for her never ending kindness and beauty."_

_Naomi had a feeling there was more to the story than he was telling her. "And?" She probed, sliding closer to the man. The Medjai eyed her warily._

_After a moment of silence, Ardeth heavily sighed. "She fell in love with her Medjai protector." She then made a guess, one that would reveal more than she thought possible._

_"Was her Medjai protector named Amun by any chance?"_

**Also a major thank you to these people for their reviews – ****CeffylGwyn****, ****watergoddesskasey****, ****LionLeo16****, ****Cori Lynn Pleva****, ****jenthefangirl****, and ****Lady Minuialwen****.**


	5. Chapter 4 - Visions of the Past

Thank you sooooooo much to everyone who has stuck with this story. I really appreciate every ounce of love it gets.

Please R&R!

Disclaimer** –** I _do not_ own Mummy or its characters. I don't even own the plot. All I own is the character I stuck in so that Ardeth could have some romance in his life.

**Twice In A Lifetime – **He began stalking toward her with a possessive gleam in his eyes. "Life in the desert is harsh." She nervously backed up a step for each one he took, mouth dry. He stopped in front of her after her back bumped into a tree trunk and placed his hands on either side of her head. "You better not regret your choice later." He breathed against her lips as his hands tangled in her hair.

**Chapter Four – Visions of the Past**

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Once they had all piled into the dirigible, Ardeth cut the rope holding it down with his scimitar. Naomi smiled at the children running behind the dirigible as they flew higher. Izzy slowly turned the huge thing around and toward the pyramids at Giza. She watched the landscape below her as they moved, in awe of how small things looked compared to actually standing next to them.

Rick stayed close to Evy while Jonathan found a good spot to sit down to watch the scenery change. Naomi excitedly scampered from one end of the dirigible to the other. It was her first time in something like it. Ardeth leaned against a side with Horus still on his left arm. She glanced at him once to find his eyes on her. The notion that they were going to be spending some time together in the semi-cramped quarters of the flying contraption made her flush.

_This is going to be a loooooong journey._ She thought while looking at the sun.

Izzy kept the dirigible flying toward the huge pyramids. Naomi eventually ran out of things to gasp in awe over and sat down with her back against a side. The day slowly wore on and she found it hard to keep her eyes open. All the events from the days previous seemed to have caught up to her. Her eyelids slid shut for a few moments before she snapped them open again. Slapping her hands against her cheeks a couple of times helped chase away the sudden sleepiness.

The sun was setting as they passed the pyramids at Giza. Naomi ran to the side facing the gigantic limestone structures. She had always wanted to see the pyramids but never had the chance to do so before now. Even though they were on a journey to rescue Alex, she couldn't help being a bit distracted by the beautiful sights. A twinge of sadness entered her at thought of her kidnapped nephew.

After looking at the pyramids for a while, Naomi returned to her spot near where Jonathan was sitting on some box. A small fire within a container was started as night came in. She rubbed her arms, watching the darkening sky. After a while, a full moon shone brightly down on them as they flew under it. Ardeth sat down between her and Jonathan, also on something sturdy.

"O'Connell does not want to believe," The Medjai started, still softly stroking his bird, "but he flies like Horus towards his destiny." Naomi shifted closer to the two men, wondering just when they had begun the conversation.

More than likely while she had been ogling the pyramids at Giza.

"Yes, yes, very interesting." Jonathan had stuck one arm in a hole in the wood encompassing the pilot area. "Tell me some more about this gold pyramid."

Naomi snorted. "Is gold really all you think about?" She asked her brother in law.

Before he got a chance to reply, Ardeth continued. "Well, it is written that since the time of the Scorpion King, no man who has laid eyes upon it has ever returned to tell the tale."

"Where is all this stuff written anyway?" Naomi asked, drawing the attention of the Medjai to her.

"Hello," Jonathan sighed when he pulled out his beloved golden scepter, ending the previous discussion. "Got it." He held it tenderly in his hand like it was a lover. Then he quickly looked up at Izzy. The brown skinned man was poring over some papers in his hands as he stood behind the wheel. Naomi smirked, knowing Jonathan had just 'stolen' what had 'belonged' to Izzy. She had seen Rick give the gold stick to Izzy as some form of payment.

Ardeth continued to stroke Horus. Naomi stared at the bird, wanting to copy his movements to find out what was so calming about petting a bird.

Jonathan looked at the two of them while slowly turning the scepter in his hands. "Pretty nice, eh?" He said. Naomi nodded absentmindedly with her eyes still on Horus. Jonathan and his gold. "This is all I have left in the world. The rest of my fortune was lost…"

"Yeah, probably all gambled away." Naomi muttered under her breath. Ardeth looked at her with a puzzled expression. She merely smiled brightly, folding her hands in her lap after stretching her long legs in front of her.

"…to some rather unscrupulous characters, actually." Jonathan continued his tale, apparently either not hearing Naomi's comment or choosing to ignore it.

"But if the curator reacted to it the way you say, it must be very important." Ardeth nodded at the golden stick.

Naomi leaned forwards with her chin resting in a hand. "If I were you, I would keep it close." Jonathan looked at her with a totally serious face.

"My friends," Jonathan raised the hand holding the scepter, "the gods couldn't take this away from me." His sentence was proven wrong a few seconds later when a brown hand clamped around it.

"Hey! That's mine!" Izzy exclaimed. The two began a tug-of-war over the object. Both Ardeth and Naomi watched the proceedings silently, though she had an amused grin on her face the entire time.

"No, it's not!" Jonathan retorted. However, Izzy managed to dislodge the golden stick out of Jonathan's hands. Ardeth smiled at the scene as he looked at his pet bird, making Naomi do a double take with her heart fluttering madly in her chest. That was the first time she had seen him smile.

Izzy pointed the scepter at Jonathan. "Keep your hands off it."

Jonathan sighed in defeat. Naomi knew her brother in law wouldn't give up that easily – he would just wait until Izzy wasn't there to take it from him again. Jonathan was like a mother hen when it came to 'his' gold.

Her butt was beginning to get a little sore from sitting on the hard wood so she pushed herself up. She caught the Medjai watching her once again out of the corner of an emerald eye as she moved to sit between him and Jonathan. Sighing, she leaned her head back against the wooden boards behind her. He really wasn't making it any easier by looking at her all the time.

The sound of footsteps moving across the wooden floor in the dead quiet drew her attention to her right. Naomi saw Rick walking to his wife standing at the haul. He wrapped his arms around her as she leaned back against him and they began talking in hushed tones. Naomi averted her eyes after a second. They probably needed some time alone anyway.

When she looked back down, there was something feathery right before her. Her eyes flew upwards to meet Ardeth's dark gaze in surprise. After he gestured at Horus with his head, she hesitantly lifted one finger and gently ran the back down the bird's chest feathers. She continued stroking the bird with a soft smile, watching as the animal kept turning its head. The feathers were surprisingly soft, much softer than she had expected.

Ardeth let her pet Horus for a while, not saying anything to break the comfortable silence between them. She felt calmer after dropping her hand, not knowing how long it had been and not really caring either. So that was why he was always stroking the bird. She looked up at the Medjai with a bright smile, thankful he had shared that experience with her. There was a curve to his lips when their eyes met.

She bit her bottom before softly thanking him. He answered just as quietly, already back to petting Horus.

A heavy sleepiness suddenly washed through her. It became super difficult to keep her eyes open. She saw double for a bit every time she blinked. Shaking her head and slapping her cheeks wasn't helping her this time either. After getting barely any rest for the past couple days combined with all the events before coming to Egypt began piling heavily onto her shoulders.

She flinched when a hand fell onto her shoulder. Blinking up tiredly, she saw her brother smile. Before she could groggily ask him what he wanted, a thin blanket descended over her arms. It was tucked behind her shoulders from both sides.

"That's not fair," She grumbled, eyelids already slipping down.

"Wasn't meant too," The soft voice of her sister in law said.

Naomi let her eyelids fall shut permanently, shifting her body slightly to find a more comfortable position. The last thing she heard before sleep claimed her was the whistling of a bird's call.

\/\/\/\/

_Excitement rushed through her when the familiar whistling of a bird's call reached her ears. A grin threatened to split her face as she looked out the window. Egypt was lovely at this time of day, with the golden sun dipping toward the horizon, bathing the structures outside with a glow._

_The huge double doors to her chamber swung open a while later, alerting her to an incoming guest. Her head turned to face the person who had entered with a blank expression on her face. A tremble began in her legs when her eyes swept over the tall bronze skinned man walking steadily toward her. Her hands fiddled with a piece of the white shift covering her body; the standard uniform for her position of High Priestess. The only jewelry on her was the golden arm bands around her bare upper arms._

_Yellow light from torches along the walls shone on the man's black headdress. Three tattoos decorated his handsome face, all written in Arabic. Usually the Medjai warriors weren't allowed to grow facial hair but since he was her personal protector, she got to decide. She thought the look suited him very well._

_When the Medjai warrior stopped in front of her, he knelt down on one knee, bowing his head in respect for her and her position. She placed a hand on his bare shoulder, smiling softly down at him. After checking to make sure there was no one around, he drew her into the circle of his strong arms. She laid her head against his muscled chest with a contented sigh._

_"You're finally back." She whispered, feeling his face press into her long black hair. "Are you sure you still want me?" The question had been bugging her for the last several days while he had been away. Her older brother had assigned a Medjai to protect her because of her high standing position, giving her only one rule to follow._

_He pulled back, gazing into her eyes with a serious expression. "I've wanted you since the first time I laid eyes on you Priestess."_

_Her answer was tightening her arms around him. Love shone brightly within her eyes. Even though it was forbidden for a High Priestess to fall in love, and her older brother had even warned her not to grow any strong feelings for a Medjai warrior, her heart still longed for him._

_It would always long for him_

\/\/\/\/

"Come on Nami. Time to get up."

Naomi groaned as someone gently but firmly shook her. It had seemed like only five minutes had passed. Blinking her eyes open, she saw two people standing over her. Her brother was supporting a wide grin while the Medjai's lips curved upwards in amusement.

Yawning, Naomi lazily stretched her arms in front of her. "Are we there or something?" It was light out so she guessed some time had passed.

Rick shook his head. "No, but you slept a long time."

Her lips formed an o but nothing came out. She bundled up the light blanket, idly wondering if the Medjai had watched her while she slept. The thought sent unwelcomed heat burning through her.

After placing the tightly bundled blanket on the floor beside the box she had fallen asleep on, she pushed herself up.

Her balance decided to mutiny against her. Two hands grasped her arms to help steady her when she began tittering on her feet. She thanked her brother in law for saving her from getting up close and personal with the hard wooden floor. Jonathan chuckled lightly before reclaiming his seat in front of the wood encompassing the pilot area.

Naomi looked out at the sky. The sun was setting behind a thin layer of clouds, stars just beginning to peak out within the white film. She padded over to the right side, placing her hands on the railing as she gazed across the darken landscape. A sliver of blue cut through the land below the dirigible and she recognized that there were no more structures littering the ground.

She turned back around to ask her brother if he had any idea on where they were but was distracted by a whistling bird's call.

Ardeth was holding out his left arm with the black glove on his hand on the opposite side of her. A small falcon like bird gracefully landed on his outstretched hand and the Medjai placed both Horus and the thick glove on a small table beside him. She leaned back against the side behind her, watching as he sat down and looked at the person resting on a box next to her. Rick was cleaning one of his small guns with a pocket knife, seemingly paying them no mind.

"If a man does not embrace his past, he has no future." Ardeth spoke up suddenly. Naomi looked at him sharply.

"Look, even _if_ I was some sort of sacred Medjai," Rick answered like this was an ongoing conversation she hadn't been a part of. "What good does that do me now?"

Ardeth rested his arms on his knees. "It is the missing piece of your heart. If you embrace it, if you accept it, you can do anything."

"Sounds great. Listen." Rick finished what he had been doing and put away his pocket knife with a flourish. "What can we expect from our old friend Imhotep?"

Ardeth leaned back, accepting the change of topic without a word of protest. "His powers are returning quickly. By the time he reaches Ahm Shere, even the Scorpion King won't be able to stop him." Naomi grimaced. That didn't sound too good.

Sighing, she left the two men to go stand by her sister in law towards the haul. Evy was staring out at the layer of low handing clouds they were flying into with unblinking eyes. Naomi wanted to snap her out of it but decided against it when a strange feeling rose within her chest.

Tiny pinpricks of sharp pain suddenly began behind her eyes. She winced, placing her hands on the railing. Shaking her head didn't help relieve the uncomfortable feeling. Moving a hand to press against her temple, Naomi looked at Evy to see if she had noticed her discomfort. The other woman glanced down then back up with her eyes unfocused. The pain in Naomi's head dulled, allowing her to watch her sister in law carefully.

Evelyn was acting weird, that much Naomi was certain of.

Evy let out a sudden scream two seconds later, running toward the side. Rick yelled his wife's name as he rushed over and grabbed one of her legs just as she threw herself over the railing. Jonathan and Ardeth latched onto Rick, thereby stopping the married couple from falling to their death.

Naomi regained her senses after standing shocked for a moment and looked over the edge. Rick was holding onto the railing with one hand while the other firmly gripped one of Evy's legs. Ardeth and Jonathan each had their hands holding on to Rick. They worked as one to haul Evy up.

"What the hell Evy?" Rick exclaimed as he crushed his wife in a hug after they were safely back on board.

Naomi breathed a sigh of relief only to have it to turn into a soft gasp of pain. Her eyes flew up to see if anyone had heard the noise. Evelyn was still in her husband's arms and Jonathan had knelt down by them with a hand on Evy's shoulder. Ardeth was looking at her with a frown from beyond where her relatives were sitting.

She offered the Medjai a weak smile before turning around. The throb pulsed stronger than before. She stared unblinkingly into the clouds the dirigible was still flying through. An uneasy feeling spread in the pit of her stomach.

Her eyes widen when an image suddenly appeared within the white. A woman with long black hair had her back to Naomi. A white shift draped over her body in rippling waves. The only clear part of the scene was a radius of two feet around the woman.

Weird sounds invaded Naomi's head. It wasn't until the sound of a door opening and closing was timed with the image that she realized where the sounds were coming from. Another woman had rushed in, shouting a name that Naomi was sure she knew just as well as her own.

"Priestess Naeemah!" The woman with long black hair turned around. Naomi got a strong sense of déjà-vu when she looked at the Priestess's face.

"Yes Kohoa?" Kohoa bowed quickly before the Priestess then clasped her hands.

"Priestess Naeemah!" The woman was out of breath as she spoke. "High Priest Imhotep is having an affair with the Pharaoh's mistress!" Naeemah frowned.

"Are you sure about this Kohoa?" At the nod of the other woman, Naeemah gently pulled her hands free. "Then I must inform Amun." The name sent delicious tingles through Naomi.

"Priestess, Amun sent me here to warn you."

Naeemah looked alarmed as she stared at Kohoa. "What?"

"Yes, he said-"

The vision was broken when a warm hand clamped over her shoulder. Naomi squeaked in surprise, jerking her body around to face who had startled her. Ardeth stared into her wide eyes with a frown, concern clearly written on his face.

"Are you okay?" The question was soft. Naomi blinked several times, disoriented from what she now recognized was a vision. After nodding her head in a daze, the Medjai let out a sigh. "What happened there?"

Naomi leaned back against the side, eyes scanning the deck. Rick was with Evy at the haul while Jonathan seemed to be arguing over the gold stick with Izzy once again. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "I think," She began slowly, "I just had a vision or something."

The Medjai was still looking at her when she glanced up at him, though the frown was now gone. His eyes were thoughtful as he stepped closer to her.

"What was it about?"

Her heart fluttered. "Do you recognize the name 'Naeemah'?"

"Naeemah was a High Priestess." He turned to face the dark sky, hands on the railing. "She was known for her never ending kindness and beauty."

Naomi had a feeling there was more to the story than he was telling her. "And?" She probed, sliding closer to the man. The Medjai eyed her warily.

"She was promised to the High Priest."

Naomi blinked, knowing he was referring to Imhotep. "So…?"

After a moment of silence, Ardeth heavily sighed. "She fell in love with her Medjai protector instead." She then made a guess, one that would reveal more than she thought possible.

"Was her Medjai protector named Amun by any chance?"

His startled eyes flew to her face. He seemed unsettled by the name. "Yes, it was." Even his voice sounded a little shaken.

Naomi could tell he had been very surprised when she had uttered that name. She had a weird feeling the name affected him much the same way the name of the Priestess affected her.

Their conversation died off then, both preoccupied with troubling thoughts. Naomi tiredly ran a hand down her face a few minutes later. Ever since her brother had returned home, one strange thing had happened after another. First was the dream that she now wondered if it was a memory. Then the strong attraction to a man she had just barely met but felt like she had known all her life. And now this – finding out that she was a reincarnated priestess who had fallen in love with her Medjai protector.

_Things weren't looking up for her it seemed._

She saw Rick and Evy moving to sit together in front of the pilot area with Jonathan on the far left. Ardeth followed her to them, taking the seat between her and her brother in law. No one spoke anything for a while. The air grew tense as time passed and Naomi could practically _feel_ the heaviness.

The silence was broken by Rick, who thought it time to discuss his wife's strangeness over the last while. "Evy, I know you haven't exactly been yourself lately with all these dreams and visions-"

"You mean you've been having them too?" Naomi jumped in quickly. She hurried to explain herself when they looked at her. "It seems I've been plagued as well."

"They're memories from your previous life." Evy told her before looking at Rick. "Honestly, I'm not losing my mind. If they're memories from my previous life, it all makes perfect sense now."

"And that's the reason why we found the bracelet?" He asked.

She smiled. "Exactly. I was its protector."

"Now do you believe, my friend?" Ardeth spoke up. They all turned their attention to the Medjai. "Clearly, you were destined to protect this woman."

"Right," Rick said sarcastically. "She's a reincarnated princess, and I'm a warrior for God."

"And your son leads the way to Ahm Shere. Three sides of the pyramid." Ardeth added. "This was all preordained thousands of years ago."

Evelyn decided it was her turn to ask a question of the Medjai. "And how does the story end?"

"Only the journey's written, not the destination."

"Convenient." Naomi snorted at her brother's comment.

Ardeth tried once more to make Rick believe in what he was saying. "How else do you explain Evy's visions? That it is your son who wears the bracelet? How do you explain your mark?"

"Coincidence." Rick countered.

"My friend, there is a fine line between coincidence and fate."

"So does that mean I'm fated to fall in love with a Medjai?" Naomi piped up suddenly. When she got startled looks from everyone, she rushed on. "I'm a reincarnated priestess. One who apparently fell in love with her Medjai protector," She caught Ardeth's back straightening slightly from the corner of an eye.

Rick grimaced. "Not you too Nami."

Evy smacked his leg lightly. "I was friends with a High Priestess in my former life." Then her eyebrows furrowed. "Though she had an older brother I think."

"Now _that_ I didn't know," Naomi muttered. She looked at Ardeth expectantly, hoping he would get her message.

The Medjai rested his dark eyes on her, choosing to ignore the rest of the group sitting as he let loose the information that sent her reeling.

"You are Imhotep's younger sister."

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Anybody confused yet? If you are that's fine. It will all be explained in due time.

Lightning Mistress

**Sneak preview of the next chapter – Racing Against Time**

_They didn't speak as they stared at each other. Naomi knew her brother and Ardeth were the only ones heading back down. Evelyn, Jonathan and her would be the backup. Even though she knew the reason why, she still wanted to be next to the Medjai to make sure he wouldn't get killed in the upcoming battle._

_"Be careful." She told him finally. He didn't say anything as she gestured to the rifle in her hands with a nod. "I'll watch your back." There was this pressing need in her to touch him before he left. She worried her bottom lip as her mind warred with her heart._

_He shocked her greatly when he gently ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek. She didn't get a chance to reply to the surprisingly tender action as he had immediately hurried after her brother. It took her nearly a full minute to process what had just happened before she could move again. There was a dazed expression on her face as she rejoined Evy and Jonathan._

**Also a major thank you to these people for their reviews – ****Lady Minuialwen****, ****rukoitalian65****, ****CeffylGwyn****, ****watergoddesskasey,****FromTheStars****, and ****PurpleFairy11****.**


	6. Chapter 5 - Racing Against Time

Sorry about being a little late with this update. I made this chapter longer for you guys in way of apology (it is the longest so far if you don't count the first chapter that I split in two).

Oh and this is also the last one I had prewritten so it will take me longer to update after this. Just a heads up.

Please R&R!

Disclaimer** –** I _do not_ own Mummy or its characters. I don't even own the plot. All I own is the character I stuck in so that Ardeth could have some romance in his life.

**Twice In A Lifetime – **He began stalking toward her with a possessive gleam in his eyes. "Life in the desert is harsh." She nervously backed up a step for each one he took, mouth dry. He stopped in front of her after her back bumped into a tree trunk and placed his hands on either side of her head. "You better not regret your choice later." He breathed against her lips as his hands tangled in her hair.

**Chapter Five – Racing Against Time**

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

They reached Karnack the next day. Rick and Ardeth hopped off and ran toward the unmoving train on the other side of the place. Izzy and Jonathan stayed behind on the dirigible while Naomi followed Evy into the temple, both searching for any sign of the O'Connell's youngest member. The place looked totally deserted but the two women wouldn't give up.

After passing a square pool of water and going down a couple steps, Naomi spotted something yellow to her left. She hurried to it while Evy yelled her husband's name. The mother swiped the yellow and black tie off the corner of a statue and showed it to her sister in law. Naomi heard a gun cocking in the dead silence then shuffling footsteps.

"Alex left us his tie." She said when the two males stopped by them then glanced down after noticing Evy looking south. There was something made out of the dirt on the floor.

"And he made us a little sand castle." Evy told them as she squatted down. The others followed her movements to get a better look. Naomi brushed off some extra grains on one of the tiny buildings.

"It's the Temple Island of Philae." She was surprised at how detailed the thing was.

Evy looked at Rick. "They've gone to Philae."

Rick grabbed his wife's arm to help her stand. "That-a-boy, Alex."

They hurried back to the dirigible. Jonathan asked what they had found once everyone was onboard. Rick told Izzy the next destination while Evy showed Jonathan the tie. Naomi removed the rope tying the dirigible down. She saw Ardeth head for Horus out of the corner of her eye. The Medjai wrote something on a small piece of paper, rolled it on a tiny metal scroll then slipped it onto the back of Horus's legs. The bird took off as their aircraft started moving.

There was heaviness in the air during the journey to the island temple. Naomi mostly kept to herself, looking out at the landscape with a worried expression. Her nephew had been smart by constructing that little sand castle. Without it, they wouldn't have known where to go beyond Karnack.

It was a little later that day when they reached Philae. The same four from before hopped out. This time, it was Rick who found the drawing in sand. Alex had draped his brown coat over it, probably to hide he was leaving behind clues. Evy and Naomi knelt by the tiny sand building.

"The great temple of Abu Simbel." Evy said. Naomi looked up and saw Ardeth once again slip something onto Horus's legs then sent the bird off. It wasn't until they were back on Izzy's flying contraption that she realized what the Medjai was doing.

Slapping a hand to her forehead, she grumbled to herself over her stupidity. Ardeth had said Horus would be the messenger to tell the twelve commanders of the Medjai their progress. Then a sudden question popped up, making Naomi's eyebrows furrow in confusion as she gazed at him. Though if he wasn't one of the commanders, what did that make him?

Naomi finally put two and two together when they came to the great temple of Abu Simbel. Ardeth had to be above the twelve commanders. It was the only thing that made sense and it also explained why the commanders obeyed him. She groaned out loud, running a hand through her bangs. Great. She was attracted to the leader of the Medjai.

_Absolutely perfect._

Naomi didn't notice anything happening until the dirigible was moving again. She scanned her surroundings once realizing she had probably spaced out for some time. Rick was once again by Izzy with both of them checking a map, Jonathan and Evy looked to be talking about something while Ardeth absentmindedly stroked Horus's chest feathers with his gaze on the scenery.

Apparently, they had found the next clue without her. She shook her head then walked over to the usual sitting area. Plopping down with a quiet sigh, she put her head in her hands with her elbows resting on her knees. Thinking was giving her a headache. Worrying about her nephew strained her nerves. And being around the black robed man with a pet bird made her tired.

She wasn't doing so well was she?

Naomi raised her head and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Standing up, she headed for the back end of the dirigible for some peace and quiet. The woman knew she needed to keep her head on the journey to save Alex.

When she got to the furthest part, she looked down just as they began flying over a river. The height difference between where she was standing and the ground below was really big. A nauseous feeling spread through her stomach. Before now she had always looked out across the landscape, not directly down.

She made a metal note never to it again.

"That's the Blue Nile down there." Rick said, going to stand at the side with his wife. Naomi turned to see him place his hands on the railing. So now she knew what was making her feel queasy. "We must be out of Egypt by now."

"In ancient times, all this still belonged to the upper kingdom." Evelyn replied. Naomi saw Ardeth walk towards her while still petting his bird. "The oasis must be around here somewhere." Now that they were in a lull, the discussion from the night before reaching Karnack surfaced in her mind.

The irony that she had been Imhotep's younger sister in her previous life wasn't lost on her. She couldn't remember much yet of Naeemah but she knew the priestess had dearly loved her brother – much the same way Naomi felt about Rick. Even with that fact, she knew without a doubt that she would never help the mummy. Besides, she already had an older brother, and he didn't have a 3,010 year old grudge either.

Naomi giggled to herself before facing the back end once again. Ardeth had reached her by now and stopped right beside her. They didn't say anything for a minute as the dirigible gently drifted high above the river.

"Don't worry Evy," Rick soothed, "we'll find him. He's a smart kid. He'll leave us a sign."

Naomi frowned when their conversation after her startling vision came back. "If Naeemah was Imhotep's sister," she turned to face the Medjai with a questioning look, "why was she promised to him?"

"It was quite common for High Priests and Priestesses to marry, even if they were related." Ardeth supplied.

She leaned back against the wood. "But didn't that only happen within the royal family? You know, something about keeping the bloodline pure and all."

Ardeth nodded. "Yes, that was true." He looked down at her. "It's almost the same concept." Naomi snorted then shook her head, turning around to place her hands back on the railing.

It became quiet between them after that, something she noticed that happened a lot. The silence wasn't uncomfortable or awkward. He didn't make any indication that he wanted to leave the area either. She absentmindedly wondered why as her eyes swept over the jagged cliffs on either side of the river.

A light bulb went off over Naomi's head after a minute. Asking why Naeemah had been promised to Imhotep even though she had been his younger sister brought forth a different part of the same conversation. Why had Ardeth seem so shaken after she had said Amun? If she was Naeemah, then who was Amun?

Her eyebrows furrowed, teeth biting her bottom lip in concentration. Ardeth was a Medjai. Amun had been a Medjai. Her eyes went wide as saucers while her jaw dropped as a question rose up to connect the two pieces.

What if Ardeth was Amun?

_Eeeeeeeeekkkkksssss!_

Naomi whirled around to check if the Medjai was still standing next to her. Finding him back at the front end sent relief washing through her. Having him there probably would've killed her right at the moment. Her earlier thoughts had sent her heart fluttering madly within her chest.

Her ears picked up a distant rumbling. She looked over her shoulder to see a huge wall of blue coming straight for them. Adrenaline poured into her veins as she shouted to everyone onboard, "We're in trouble people!"

She hurried to where the others in her party were standing at the haul. Jonathan was behind Rick while Ardeth occupied the spot beyond Evy. Naomi stopped between her brother in law and the Medjai. The wind was howling as they watched the blue wall come closer.

A face within the water emerged, bellowing as it ascended from the bottom. "Whoa!" Jonathan muttered while placing a hand on the railing when sinister laughter was heard as the face became level with the deck area of the dirigible.

Ardeth sent his bird out with a single command, "Horus, fly!" Naomi watched the bird go to the right in a fork just ahead in the canyon.

"Izzy, come hard right!" She yelled, facing the tower of water again. Rick picked up on her suggestion and started hurriedly gesturing toward the direction his sister had said.

"Starboard! Starboard!"

The face let out a loud roar, opening its mouth as it moved forward like it was about to swallow them whole. Izzy pressed down a leveler to his left and the dirigible jerked forward unexpectedly. Jonathan used his grip on the side railing to keep himself from bumping into Rick and Evy, the husband's arms around his wife's waist. Naomi automatically grabbed onto Ardeth's arm to steady herself while he held onto the railing to his right.

Wind whipped at Naomi's face from the fast sped. She saw the water mouth close just behind them. If Izzy hadn't had that 'gas pedal' they probably would've drowned – in the air.

The huge wave followed closely behind as the dirigible turned right at the fork. It smashed into a wall of the tighter canyon but still kept up. Everyone standing on the deck fell sideways when Izzy tried to maneuver out of the incoming water's way. The wave fell over the dirigible, knocking their feet from under them as well as thoroughly soaking their clothes. Naomi landed on the wooden floor with a grunt from the hard impact.

It wasn't until the Medjai was trying to get up that she realized she was still clutching his arm and let go with a quiet squeak. He chuckled under his breath as he helped her back up again. She saw everyone else slowly picking themselves up as the dirigible slowed down.

"Was there a little something you forgot to mention? Hmm?" Izzy looked directly at Rick, draped over the wheel he had used for leverage. Naomi smiled as she lightly shook her head, knowing it would take too long to explain to the pilot. Her long braid was heavy and she found she didn't really like the feeling.

Sighing a moment later, she glanced at the Medjai next to her. A giggled escaped without her permission and she placed a hand over her mouth to hide it. She made a mental note to try and get him soaked again sometime.

A wet Ardeth looked even better than a dry Ardeth.

"Uh, people?" Jonathan's voice broke into her little fantasy with the wet Medjai. She swallowed then turned around. Her eyes went wide at the tons of green ahead surrounded by golden brown sand on all sides. A couple waterfalls dotted within the gigantic forest/jungle. Calls from the birds flying above the green filled the air.

"Ahm Shere." Ardeth put a name to what they were seeing. Naomi's jaw dropped at the size.

"It's….huge." She muttered.

Rick went for a telescope and pointed it straight out in front of him. "Right," He mumbled a moment later as he closed the device.

The quiet was interrupted by loud rumbling after he sent down the telescope. Everyone on the deck whirled around in apprehension. The water wall was back, pushing itself between the rocky sides. Izzy yelled a "He's back!" before facing the wheel. "Hang on!" The pilot pushed the extra speed lever and the flying contraption shot forward once again. Naomi tumbled backwards from the force though the Medjai grabbed hold of her arm so she wouldn't fall down completely.

The dirigible started slowing down just a few feet beyond clearing the canyon with sounds of engines winding down. Izzy looked alarmed as they stopped moving.

"Oh, that's not good." He commented then sank below the wheel. Naomi grimaced, watching the blue wave rushing straight for them.

"Hang on!" shouted Rick right before the water washed over the dirigible. Naomi felt a pair of arms wrap around her and buried her face in the front of Ardeth's robes. She squeezed her eyes shut, hands gripping the material like a lifeline.

She heard a couple screams as the dirigible tumbled from the air. The noises were followed by several snapping sounds then a loud pop. All the air left her lungs from the last jarring impact before blessedly nothing more came.

Her head spun when she slowly opened her eyes. Something under her shifted, making her gaze fly down. Dazed dark brown orbs met hers. A few seconds of staring passed before she jumped up in embarrassed surprise. She had to clutch her head in pain from the sudden movement.

There was a low grunt from Ardeth as he pushed himself off the wooden floor. He rubbed the back of his head for a moment after standing. Naomi looked for the other people in her party, noticing the decent from the sky had been less than graceful with the balloon part of the dirigible flat and stuck on several different branches.

Rick moved off of Evelyn, trying to help her stand while being as unbalanced as his wife. Jonathan had to grab hold onto a piece of the deck side to pull himself back up. Izzy was already on his feet and extinguishing random sparks within the flat balloon material.

Naomi began helping her brother dig through the debris for their bags. "We're gonna go get my son." Rick told Izzy as the party formed an assembly line. He handed what bags he could find to his younger sister who then gave them to Ardeth. "Then we're gonna wanna get out of here fast." The Medjai passed the bags to Evy, who had jumped out so she could place them on the ground. Jonathan was also on the grass, raising his arms every time a bag was handed between the people in the assembly line. "So make this work Izzy." Rick finished then went to stand before the pilot.

Izzy stopped spraying the sparks. "No, no, you don't understand, goddamn it." Naomi followed her brother and raised an eyebrow at the brown skinned man.

"So what don't we understand then?" She saw Ardeth pick up his scimitar from under some loose boards and slip it back into its sheath at his waist.

Izzy stared at the two of them in disbelief. "This thing was filled with gas. Not hot air – gas. I need gas to get this thing off the ground." His voice started sounding angry as he continued, "Where am I gonna get gas from around here? Huh?" He waved his arms at the trees. "Bananas? Mangos? Tarzan's ass?" Naomi snorted in amusement.

"No you idiot." She muttered as she turned around to head back to where her sister and brother in law were standing outside of the downed dirigible. Ardeth hopped out to join the three of them while Izzy continued to rant to the male O'Connell.

"Well, maybe I could finagle it to take hot air." Naomi wondered how long the pilot would take with his speech. They really needed to get moving and find Alex fast. "But do you know how many cubic meters I'd need? It's too big!" Evelyn picked up her bag from the pile while Jonathan threw the strap of his over his shoulder. Naomi decided to peek through hers to see if everything was still inside while she waited.

"If anybody can fill this thing up with hot air," Rick slapped the brown skinned man's shoulder. "Izzy, it's you."

Rick then jumped out to lead the group further into the jungle. Naomi spotted Jonathan looking around quickly before swiftly grabbing a golden stick and hiding it inside his jacket. She giggled as he returned to the party, eyes now watching the Medjai call for his pet bird. Horus landed on the thick black glove with a single bird whistle. Ardeth put a small note on its legs then sent the animal off before falling behind Naomi.

Jonathan spoke up as they headed into the greenery. "So, Rick. What's the plan?"

"Let's find some higher ground first."

The sound of a gunshot filled the air. Naomi gasped, hand flying to her mouth with her eyes immediately going to the Medjai. Ardeth whirled around and hurriedly called his bird after running back a few feet. When Horus didn't answer the summons, he faced them with a troubled expression a couple seconds later.

Naomi's heart thumped painfully at the look. She had a sinking feeling she knew what he would say. "I must go." He quietly spoke.

Rick headed back to him. "Where?"

"I must let the commanders know where we are."

Naomi followed her brother. "You can't go." They needed him. She needed him.

Ardeth glanced at her standing beside Rick. "If the Army of Anubis arises-"

"I need you to help me find my son." Rick cut in, desperation leaking out in his tone. The Medjai had a torn expression as he looked at Evelyn and Jonathan coming up behind Rick. When his gaze shifted to Naomi, she gently placed a hand on his arm.

"Please," She begged softly. "Help us find him."

Ardeth nodded. "Then first, I shall help you." She smiled brightly, strong relief washing through her. So he wasn't leaving her yet.

"Thank you." She whispered for them all. Rick patted the Medjai as they headed back to the front. Naomi, Evy and Jonathan joined them, once again falling in a straight line.

As she walked behind Evy, Naomi wondered if she had been the one to convince the Medjai to stay. It didn't seem very likely but she really couldn't help it.

After all, it wasn't until after she had said something that he agreed to stay.

\/\/\/\/

It wasn't until night had fallen that they finally found some higher ground. After climbing up a steep path on the side of a cliff, the group stopped at the open ledge facing the darken jungle. Rick dumped his bag at the area still connecting to the rock and everyone else followed suit. Naomi opened the one with all the guns and began handing them out to the rest of the party.

Rick took his to the edge opening to the scenery. He knelt down then started messing with the two small hand guns he had in holsters over his shoulders. Ardeth copied the male O'Connell, though choosing instead to sit on a rock jutting up from the dirt. Jonathan took a torch to the other end the other males weren't preparing once he had a weapon.

Naomi stood up with two guns as Jonathan walked away. After giving one to her sister in law, she fiddled with the object in her hands on her way over to where her brother and the Medjai were at.

"You hear that?" Rick suddenly asked. Naomi's head snapped up, eyes scanning the darkness in front of her.

"What?" She asked. Ardeth also looked out across the landscape beyond the ledge.

Rick returned a handheld gun to its holster. "Nothing." He then picked up the rifle beside him. "Absolutely nothing." Naomi's eyebrows furrowed. She hadn't realized her brother was right until after listening for a while. The only sounds were the occasional clicking of their weapons.

"I say, chaps, look at this." Jonathan's voice reached the other four on the ledge. Naomi turned to see her brother in law gazing in some kind of hut built into the cliff's side. "Shrunken heads. I'd love to know how they do that." All he got when he looked at the group was four identical What-the-heck expressions. He stabbed the torch in the ground beside him. "Just curious."

Naomi rolled her eyes while walking away from her brother. She halted at the spot her brother in law was holding a rifle. "You any good with that?" She gestured at the gun, having never actually seen him with one before now. Ardeth joined them as well with the strap of his rifle over his shoulder.

"Three times _Fox and Hound's_ grand champion, I'll have you know." Jonathan told both of them proudly. She spied the Medjai's hand resting on the handle of his scimitar tucked in the sash around his waist. Jonathan nodded at the weapon.

"You any good with that?"

She knew firsthand just how good he was with it. With a smug smile, she answered for the Medjai. "You'll know soon enough." Ardeth sighed quietly at her sentence. Though before the other two could say anything else, he ripped it out and placed it at Jonathan's neck. A deer-in-the-headlights look fell over her brother in law's face.

"The only way to kill an Anubis warrior is by taking off its head." Naomi chuckled under her breath at Ardeth's random explanation.

"I'll remember that." Jonathan gulped. The Medjai sheathed his sword then glanced at the female standing next to him. Her brother in law tip-toed beyond Ardeth while keeping a wary eye on the scimitar.

Silence descended upon the two. She kept her gaze on the front of his robes, thoughts whirling inside her head. She knew what would happen next yet she didn't want to leave him. What would she do if he-

"You are staying up here I'm guessing." His deep voice made her jump, distracting her from her current train of thought. Her eyes flew upwards to meet his serious gaze.

"Yes." She shrugged, heart beating erratically. "It'll be easier if I stay here anyways."

They didn't speak as they stared at each other. Naomi knew her brother and Ardeth were the only ones heading back down. Evelyn, Jonathan and her would be the backup. Even though she knew the reason why, she still wanted to be next to the Medjai to make sure he wouldn't get killed in the upcoming battle.

"Be careful." She told him finally. He didn't say anything as she gestured to the rifle in her hands with a nod. "I'll watch your back." There was this pressing need in her to touch him. She worried her bottom lip as her mind warred with her heart.

He shocked her greatly when he gently ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek. She didn't get a chance to reply to the surprisingly tender action as he had immediately hurried after her brother. It took her nearly a full minute to process what had just happened before she could move again. There was a dazed expression on her face as she rejoined Evy and Jonathan.

They thankfully didn't ask any questions. Naomi sighed dreamily then caught herself. A blush spread across her cheeks as she shyly glanced at her sister and brother in law. Evy smirked knowingly at her while Jonathan raised an eyebrow. She decided to ignore the questioning look within their eyes.

It wouldn't do much good to explain to them what she hardly knew herself.

Naomi took a deep breath, turning to face the quiet jungle. She spotted moving lights in the distance. As the flickering glow came closer, she realized it was torches. Knowing her brother and Medjai hadn't taken any when they headed down earlier, the only possible conclusion was that it was the mummy's group.

Which meant Alex was also down there.

The trail of torches flickered in a sudden strong breeze. The glow began spreading apart in a zigzagged line. Jonathan wrapped the strap of his gun around the wrist of the hand holding it steady. The two females copied his movements.

"Jonathan? Naomi?" Evy spoke up in the stillness. Naomi nodded to show she was listening, emerald eyes scanning the area below for any sign of the ones that had headed down.

"Yes?" Jonathan answered for the both of them.

Naomi looked at her sister in law after not finding anything. "That's my husband and my son down there." Evy kept her gaze on the male beside her. "Make me proud."

"There's also another down there you know…" Naomi mumbled under her breath, the image of the black robed man flashing through her mind.

"Today's that day, Evy." She absently wondered if he had ever done that before. The sound of guns cocking let her know they were ready. She planted her foot against a rock in front of her as she returned her gaze below.

Her grip tightened around her weapon when screaming reached her ears. Gunshots echoed as the red robed men ran about. Torches disappeared within the party. Her eyes swept the vicinity – Rick and Ardeth had yet to show up.

She caught a flash of white within the red. Alex was backing away from Lock-Nah, making Naomi very tempted to just shoot the dark skinned man. Her gun was pointed in that direction when a different kind of yelling mixed with more gunshots filled the night air. She saw her brother and the Medjai taking out red robed men as they bounded into the area.

Naomi knew it was probably selfish of her to only watch the Medjai but justified it by telling herself that there was also Evelyn and Jonathan. The two males from her party headed down the line of red clad men, picking off ones that weren't already preoccupied with running away from something else. It seemed like the other group was fighting two battles.

Alex yelled for his father, to which Rick shouted the boy's name. Two red robed men approached him from behind but Evy shot them before they could hurt her husband. At the second yell for him, Rick finally spotted his son. The three up on the ledge cleared the way for the father with the Medjai following not too far behind.

Lock-Nah had Alex trapped at a tree. He had his scimitar out and was about ready to cleave the blonde boy in two when Alex was swiped out from under the swing. Rick continued running away with his son over his shoulder. Lock-Nah ripped his scimitar out of the bark and took a single step in their direction. When a battle cry came from behind him, the dark skinned man whirled around to block Ardeth's incoming weapon. They began fighting, Naomi biting her bottom lip in anxiety.

"He better survive this, he better survive this…" She muttered to herself over and over. It eventually became a mantra. Her eyes stayed riveted on the battle between the enemy and the man she had strong feelings for.

The fight moved away from the tree and into the fray beyond. Ardeth was only a spot of black within all the red and green around him. There finally came an opportunity for the Medjai to punch Lock-Nah, throwing the dark skinned man off balance. The punch was followed by a kick to the face. After Lock-Nah stumbled back a step, they stared at each other for a few seconds before starting once again. The Medjai swiped his scimitar down the dark skinned man's front, making Lock-Nah drop his own weapon. A cut to the throat sent him to his knees before falling sideways to the ground.

Naomi's sigh of relief turned into a sharp intake of breath. A red clad man was quietly approaching Ardeth from the side. The Medjai didn't even know the guy was coming. She raised her gun at the enemy, noticing one pointed at Ardeth's back. A single gunshot later made him gasp in surprise. He looked to his right and watched as the red robed man fell back.

When he turned to the ledge where the three backup people were, he saw Naomi raise her gun and nod at him. He titled his head down in thanks. She watched as he vanished into the jungle below the ledge. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest.

This was probably goodbye for good. She more than likely would never see him again. Moisture gathered at the corners of her eyes. Way should she be so sad about that fact? What was wrong with her?

Evy stood up, breaking Naomi out of her depressing thoughts. She hurriedly wiped her eyes before facing her sister and brother in law.

"Let's go." She was surprised her voice didn't waver.

Jonathan exhaled in relief. "Thank God for that."

He grabbed his white backpack along with a rifle before following his sister. Naomi contemplated why it felt like there was a hole inside her chest now that the Medjai was gone on the way down. She thought about the past couple days, trying to put two and two together. When the answer still came up with five, she huffed in annoyance.

Evelyn laid a gentle hand on her sister in law's arm. "It's okay." Naomi's startled gaze flew to her face. "I already know of your feelings for Ardeth." Jonathan smiled at her when she glanced at him up ahead.

"Wha?" Confusion laced her tone. Evy smirked, shared a look with her brother then shook her head.

"Think Naomi."

Leaving her sister in law with that cryptic advice, Evy caught up to where Jonathan was. Naomi had to stop and place a hand against the rocky wall when the result slapped her in the face like a freight train, leaving her breathless in its wake a few seconds later. In truth, everything now made perfect sense. It explained her actions and feelings regarding the Medjai perfectly.

She loved him.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Did I answer your questions or just gave you some more? Let me know what you think!

Lightning Mistress

**Sneak preview of the next chapter – Following Her Heart**

_"Mom!" The blonde boy exclaimed happily when she pulled him straight off her husband's shoulder and into her arms. She hugged him tightly to her, sinking down to her knees._

_Rick put his hands on his hips as he panted harshly. Jonathan stopped in front of the father with a single rifle and white backpack. His eyes swept the area behind his brother in law for his younger sister. When she didn't appear a few seconds later, he turned to his wife with an alarmed expression. "Where's Naomi?"_

_Evy stood up with Alex's hand in her own. "She decided to stay with Ardeth." The father breathed a sigh of relief, Jonathan leaning on his rifle._

_"She's in love with him you know." Jonathan piped up in the following silence. Evy laid her other hand on her husband's arm._

_Rick glanced at her. "I already knew that. And as long as he takes care of her…" The threat went unfinished. Everyone knew what the male O'Connell would do if someone hurt his sister._

**Also a major thank you to these people for their reviews – ****Lady Minuialwen****, ****rukoitalian65****, ****CeffylGwyn****, ****watergoddesskasey,**** and ****leafygreen16.**


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